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Back when my husband Jack and I first started dating – and we discovered our shared love of food and cooking – we used to take turns making dinner. It was a fun way to impress each other – especially since we knew that the other person really appreciated a delicious, home-cooked meal!
I still remember one of the first few times that Jack came over for dinner – and he was impressed by two things in my kitchen. The first was that I had a bowl of shallots (he said he knew right then that I was a serious cook because I knew the difference between a shallot and an onion). And the second – was the extensive spice collection in my kitchen pantry!
Well…I have this delicious recipe for Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce to thank, in part, for why I had that extensive spice collection! This is a wonderful and super flavorful chicken dish with a creamy coconut-curry sauce that I’ve been making for years!
But the curry sauce isn’t made with your average pre-mixed curry powder (which I personally think is a little strong and overpowering in flavor). Instead – this curry is a blend of seven commonly-found spices (plus salt and pepper) that are combined together into a subtle but complex mix of warm and spicy flavors! And, they blend perfectly into a sauce made with coconut milk, fresh basil and fresh gingerroot that is then combined with tender chunks of chicken.
Served over a bed of warm white rice, this basil chicken in coconut-curry sauce is a must-try recipe!
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens. This recipe was originally submitted to the magazine by Neeraja Narayanan from New York, NY.
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Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves, cut into 1-inch pieces, about one pound
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh gingerroot
- Hot cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, chili powder and turmeric. Set aside.
- Place the chicken pieces into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the chicken and stir to coat all of the pieces completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours).
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalepeno and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Remove the onion mixture to a clean bowl, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Sautee half the chicken in the skillet for about 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is tender and no pink remains. Remove the chicken from the pan and place into the bowl with the cooked onion mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken and once cooked, place into the same bowl.
- In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch, and then add it to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Add the chicken and onion mixture to the skillet and also add in the basil and gingerroot. Stir to combine and then cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is completely heated.
- Serve immediately over hot cooked rice.
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One of my favorite recipes to make and eat! So much flavor! My friends get excited when make this recipe because they too enjoy it so much!
Thanks Gabrielle – So glad to hear that everyone enjoys the recipe!
This was really good! I halved the recipe for just me and my husband but, next time I’ll make the full amount of sauce.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Theresa!
Made this for the family last night. Beautiful! Very subtle flavours. Enjoyed by all the family
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Jane! (Now you have me craving it…) 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write to us today!
Yum! I would have never thought to put basil and curry together. And because I won’t be using jarred curry powder I can trick the husband into eating it (he thinks he doesn’t like curry). I’m curious why you cook the chicken half at a time – pan size? Or does it matter?
Thanks!
Hi Leila – I know what you mean – my husband Jack always says he doesn’t like curry either but he does like this dish! Yes – if you have a large enough pan, you can cook the chicken all at once – just make sure that once you start making the sauce, you stir it constantly in the wider/larger pan so that everything blends together. Thanks for visiting our site!
This looks fantastic! My family would love this! I’m always looking for new chicken recipes!
Thanks Kathy!