Chicken Coconut Yellow Curry

Recipe of  curry mix is a secret of every chef-cook... I buy the already ready one but... I mix three different types of curry mix: yellow mild one (bought in a supermarket next to home), roasted brown one (bought from a Sri Lankan grocery) and hot red one (bought in Seychelles). In any case you may try to buy curry mix powder of different colours from different shops, better form the ethnic groceries, and I may assure you, the taste will be different...



INGREDIENTS: 
Servings: 4
 
500g chicken breast 
2 carrots
2 zucchini
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2.5tbs yellow mild curry
0.5tbs hot curry
0.5tbs turmeric / curcuma
0.5tbs roasted curry
1can (400ml) coconut milk
1 bay leave 
fresh parsley
fresh basil
fresh coriander
1tbs flour
salt
8tbs olive oil

To accompany:
350-400g (about 2 glasses) Basmati rice
440-500ml water (25% more than rice)

1. Chop garlic and onion finely.
2. Pour olive oil into a saucepan and add onion and garlic, and all the spices.

3. Lightly fry the spices stirring over low heat till the flavour enhances.


 
4. Cut chicken breast into stripes and add them to the spicy mix, stir well.

5. Peel carrots and cut them into wheels, add them to curry and stir.
6. Cut zucchini into chunks and add to curry.
7. Cook chicken with the vegetables for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and a bay leave.

8. Shake the coconut milk can well before opening as it tends to splitting. 
9. Pour all the coconut milk to curry and stir.
10. Cook for about 15 minutes or till the vegetables get ready.
11. Adjust the salt.
Note: Curry should be a bit salty as you will cook rice without any salt. 
12. Mix 1 non-full tablespoon of flour with 1tbs of oil to prepare a vegetable roux (thickening mix for sauces) and add it to your curry to thicken it, stir well.
 

13. Chop fresh herbs finely and add them to your curry at the very end of cooking.




14. While curry is being cooked, pour cold water in a separate pan and add Basmati rice. Stir well in order for rice not to stick one grain to another.
15. Cover with a lid and bring to boiling over a high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10-12 minutes (necessary for Basmati rice to be cooked) or till the water is all gone. 
16. Swith off the heat and let the rice sit: keep the pot covered to finish cooking with the steam. 

17. To nicely serve the rice, take a small bowl and spread a drop of oil over the inner surface.
18. Press rice inside the bowl pairing it to the edge.
19. Turn the bowl upside down over the plate and it's done.
You may serve two or three of these rice "domes" per serving, it just depends on the bowl size.  
Note: I would like to specify that this method produces the Asian style cooked rice, as it will result in being a bit sticky. I prefer it this kind!  
Note: If you like the Indian style rice, you need to wash the rice thoroughly 4-5 times and let it soak for about 10 minutes in cold water, then discard the water and add fresh water to cook the rice....

             ENJOY!!!