Spiced-Up Chicken in Coconut Shells with Mango Cream

Spiced-Up Chicken in Coconut Shells with Mango Cream

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This dish is really worth the effort as it makes a very elegant and highly tropical presentation. To test if a coconut is fresh, pound a nail into one of the “eyes,” drain the coconut water and taste. If it tastes sweet it is fresh. Go ahead, mix a drink with some of the coconut water and rum or Scotch. You’ll be surprised by how good it tastes. Open the coconut by baking at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes and let cool. Then, using a hacksaw, cut it in half. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

2 fresh coconuts, drained, liquid reserved, and cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 onion, minced
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons curry paste (available in Asian markets)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup light cream
1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
Garnishes: Chopped fresh cilantro, reserved toasted grated coconut

Instructions

Cut the coconuts in half and cut out the coconut meat, leaving 1/4-inch of the meat attached to the nuts. Cut 2 cups of the meat into thin slivers and grate 1 cup of the remaining meat.

Preheat the broiler and sprinkle the grated coconut onto a pan and place it under the broiler. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until the coconut is golden brown.

Sauté the garlic for 1 minute in the butter and oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and saute until browned. Remove and keep warm. Add the onion, Scotch bonnet, ginger, and reserved coconut slivers. Saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Stir in the reserved coconut water and cilantro and return the chicken. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, curry paste, cumin, and cloves, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl. Add to the chicken mixture along with the mango and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Spoon the mixture into the coconut shells, garnish with the chopped cilantro and toasted coconut and serve.

Rebong Masak Lemak (Bamboo Shoots in Spicy Coconut Gravy)

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

A Singapore Nonya favorite, this dish is cooked in a wok and can also be served with the Nasi Kunyit recipe found here. Find more recipes and read about Dave DeWitt’s Singapore trip in the article Singapore Fling By Dave De Witt

Ingredients

10 dried red chillis, such as Piquins, stems and seeds removed, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then coarsely chopped

2 cups grated coconut (fresh preferred)

5 cups water

5 almonds or cashews

l large piece ginger, peeled

3 stalks lemon grass

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

5 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

10 shallots, peeled

1 tablespoon white pepper

1 tablespoon coriander

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 pounds chicken, cut up

10 ounces cooked bamboo shoots, sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons soy sauce 3 teaspoons sugar

Salt to taste

Instructions

Add 1 cup of water to the grated coconut and squeeze through cloth to make thick coconut milk. Reserve this milk. Add the rest of the water to the grated coconut and squeeze through cloth to make thin coconut milk. Reserve.

In a food processor, puree the next 7 ingredients to make a spice paste. Mix the pepper and coriander with this paste.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the paste for about five minutes until it is fragrant. Add the chicken, bamboo shoots, and the thin coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat slightly and cook until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar, and salt and cook for another 10 minutes.

Curried Coconut Beef (Rendang)

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the 12-part illustrated series “A World of Curries”. You can read all about this unique Indian flavor here.

 

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh coconut, grated
Vegetable oil for deep frying
2 pounds beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 kaffir lime leaves, crushed
2 4-inch stalks lemongrass, bulb included, chopped
2 3-inch pieces galangal, peeled and chopped (or substitute ginger)
10 shallots, peeled and chopped
5 fresh red chiles, such as serranos or jalapeños, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons soy sauce
6 cups coconut milk, recipe here

Instructions

In a fryer, deep-fry the coconut in the oil until dark brown.  

Combine the coconut, beef, salt, sugar, and tamarind concentrate and marinate in the refrigerator for at least three hours.

In a food processor, combine the turmeric, lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, chiles, garlic, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and soy sauce, and puree to a fine paste.
    
Saute the paste in a large pan for 2 minutes, add the marinated beef, and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the coconut milk, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours, or until the beef starts to fall apart and the gravy thickens.  Add more water if necessary.

Coconut Milk and Cream

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the 12-part illustrated series “A World of Curries”. You can read all about this unique Indian flavor here.

Ingredients

4 cups grated coconut
2 1/4 cups boiling water or hot milk

 

Instructions

In a bowl, cover the grated coconut with with the boiling water (or milk for a thicker coconut “cream”) and let it steep for 15 minutes.  Using a strainer, drain the coconut and reserve the “milk.”  The coconut meat may be squeezed through muslin cloth or a double layer of cheesecloth to collect the rest of the “milk.”
Store the “milk” in the refrigerator (it has about the same shelf life as whole milk), and the “cream” will rise to the top.
Variation: For a thicker milk, approaching cream, instead of steeping the grated coconut in hot water, puree it in a blender with the water and then strain it through cloth.

Coconut Milk Substitutes

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the 12-part illustrated series “A World of Curries”. You can read all about this unique Indian flavor here.

Ingredients

1 cup milk (whole or low fat)
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

  

Instructions

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir.