About
It's hard to fit all the complex and fragrant flavors of curry into a casserole dish, but Curry Casserole does it, and with style! The chicken is coated in a cilantro-curry spice mixture, so it becomes savory, spicy, and just packed with flavor! Then, the chicken gets baked with tender coconut rice and topped with jammy raisins! Wow! Curry Casserole pulls out all the stops, and our taste buds commend it for its delicious effort!
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 1/2 cups coconut water
- 2 3/4 cups water, divided
- kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
- 2 bunches scallions, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 habanero chile pepper, seeded
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
- golden raisins, optional, to taste, for topping
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 -In a large saucepan, add the rice, the coconut water, 1/2 cup of the water, and the salt and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 3 -Reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan.
Step 4 -Let the rice mixture simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Step 5 -Transfer the saucepan from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
Step 6 -In a bowl, add the rice, the butter, and the shredded coconut and toss to combine. Set the rice mixture aside.
Step 7 -In a food processor or a blender, add the scallions, the cilantro, the thyme, the garlic, the habanero, and 1/2 cup of the water and purée until a smooth paste forms.
Step 8 -In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the cilantro paste, the curry powder, the turmeric, the cumin, the ground pepper, and 1/4 cup of the water and stir to combine.
Step 9 -In a large bowl, add the remaining cilantro paste, the chicken pieces, and the salt and toss to combine.
Step 10 -In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.
Step 11 -Add the curry paste mixture to the hot oil and cook, while stirring, until the paste darkens and starts to separate, about 5 minutes.
Step 12 -Add the coated chicken pieces to the pot, stir, and reduce the heat to medium.
Step 13 -Cover and cook the chicken, while stirring occasionally, until it is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Step 14 -Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered, while stirring occasionally, until the paste mixture thickens and the chicken pieces reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
Step 15 -Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the water, the carrots, the chickpeas, and the spinach and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 16 -Reduce the heat to medium.
Step 17 -Simmer until the flavors meld together, about 15 minutes.
Step 18 -Transfer the chicken mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Step 19 -Top the chicken mixture with the rice mixture.
Step 20 -Bake until golden-brown and bubbling, about 25 minutes.
Step 21 -Serve topped with the raisins.
