If the word coconut is in a recipe title, there's no doubt that I'll be making it. So when I saw this recipe on the blog Noble Pig, I immediately bookmarked it and last Sunday realized I had most of the ingredients. As I'm re-reading the recipe now, I'm kicking myself because I meant to serve chopped peanuts atop the dish and in my hunger completely forgot to add them. We also didn't have fresh basil, but I figured I'd sprinkle some dried basil instead but also forgot to do that. Even with these alterations (and a few others, mentioned below), I really liked how this dish turned out. It has a definite kick to it, thanks to the cayenne and red chili pepper. Ryan didn't think any flavors stood out (ie. the coconut milk) overwhelmingly, which disappointed him. Considering it's called coconut chili, I would've anticipated more of a coconut flavor as well, but I still enjoyed the creaminess the coconut milk lent to the dish. We ate this over brown rice, which helped to soak up some of the sauce, where the spicy flavor resided.
Coconut Chicken Chili
as seen on Noble Pig, originally from Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
-12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed (I used 2 large chicken breasts)
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 1/2 tsp chili powder
-1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I misread and used 1/2 tsp, which may account for some of the spice, ha!)
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 tbsp all-purpose flour
-1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
-1 tbsp peanut butter
-1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
-3 medium carrots, shredded with a box grater on the biggest holes
-1 stalk celery, sliced (I used 2)
-2 green onions, sliced (I omitted, our green onions went bad!)
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (didn't have)
-Garnish with fresh basil, peanuts, and sliced pickled jalapenos, optional
Serve over hot cooked jasmine rice (or brown rice!)
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, cook chicken, onion, chili powder, ginger, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and the cayenne pepper in hot oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (Do not overcook the chicken here, you just don't want to see pink)
2. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute more. Stir in coconut milk, peanut butter, and 1 cup water. Bring to boiling, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in beans, carrots, celery, green onion, garlic, and chopped basil. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Serve with rice. Top with basil leaves.
