Curry Chicken and Rice (from frozen chicken)
Quick dinner of curry sauce and chicken served over rice. Can cook from frozen chicken breasts.
Quick dinner of curry sauce and chicken served over rice. Can cook from frozen chicken breasts.
- Carbohydrate 88.648 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.5824 g
- Fiber 3.13599994659424 g
- Protein 7.28 g
- Saturated Fat 0.1568 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (112g)
- Sodium 1.12 mg
- Sugar 85.5120000534058 g
- Trans Fat 0.0907200000000001 g
- Calories 401 calories
Step-by-step
- Start the rice. Follow package directions. If using traditional long grain rice the instructions are: combine 4 cups water with 2 cups rice. Add 2 tsp salt, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring liquid to boil. Cover and reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes. The secret to cooking rice is DO NOT OPEN THE LID until the end of the 20 minutes.
- Create the sauce. Add to a pot the contents of curry sauce package. The curry looks like a brick of chocolate. Add the amount of water shown on the package (2-1/2 cups of water). Bring to a high simmer. As the water heats, the 'brick' of curry will dissolve. Whisk to blend. As the heat approaches a boil, the sauce will thicken.
- Add the chicken to the pot (see next) and cook for 15 minutes.
- If the chicken is raw, cube the chicken into 1/2 inch squares (or any size you like. Just ensure the resulting pieces are all the same general size). Also add vegetable if desired.
- If the chicken is frozen, drop the frozen chicken pieces into the hot liquid. Because the chicken is frozen, adjust the heat to return the liquid to a simmer. Cook for 7 minutes (approximately) until the chicken is partially cooked (we are defrosting the chicken). One by one, remove a piece of hot chicken from the pot and place on cutting board. With fork and large knife, cut the chicken into 1/2 inch squares and return to the pot to finish cooking for another 8 minutes (15 minutes total). Also add vegetable if desired.
- When chicken is completely cooked (not pink), the dish is ready to serve.
- Place the sauce & meat in a serving bowl. Place the rice in a separate serving bowl. Bring to the table and so that each person can customize the mixture on their own plate.
Standard Japanese curry routines usually demand fully thawed proteins and precise prep work before any simmering begins. This variation diverges by welcoming solid-frozen chicken breasts straight into the pot. Commercial curry roux blocks, typically composed of plant fats, flour, and spices, dissolve easily in boiling water to create an instant simmering medium. Managing this requires a heavy-bottomed pot that prevents scorching as the concentrated roux thickens.
Handling Frozen Poultry Safely
Dropping solid meat into liquid lowers the temperature rapidly, so bring the water back to a vigorous simmer before timing begins. Poaching the meat whole for roughly seven minutes thaws the exterior enough to slice safely on a clean cutting board. Cut the poultry into uniform half-inch cubes to ensure even cooking during the final eight minutes in the sauce. Undercooked centers are the primary pitfall here; always verify that the meat registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.
- Keep the rice pot lid sealed for the entire twenty-minute cooking window to trap steam effectively.
- Whisk the curry roux continuously as the water heats to prevent flour clumps from forming at the bottom of the pan.
- Adjust the heat downward immediately after reaching a boil to avoid burning the fat-based sauce.
