Chicken & Pea Curry and Rice
This dish is special to me because it reminds my husband of his childhood and eating this in his mom’s kitchen.
As i’ve grown older, i’ve become a complete sucker for meals that transport you to places and times that made you happy. I truly believe that the food you eat is attached to irreplaceable memories and i’ve made it my goal to keep those memories alive through the food i serve in my home.
One of those meals is this chicken and pea curry dish. When i first got married, i was frustrated by the differences in food preferences between my husband and I. while i loved complex flavors that developed through slow cooking, lots of seasonings and a ton of ingredients you could only find in speciality stores, my husband was fond of food that was simple, easy, tasty and required little fuss. I would spend days frustrated by the fact that my overly complex meal wasn’t as well received as something simple i’d whip together. Then i realized that it was okay for my husband not to love the crazy complex flavors i loved and that it was about time i started learning about the simple flavors that he loved so much. So where did i start? His mother, of course. This dish is one of his mama’s specialties and boy did i love it when she first made it for me. The simplicity of this meal is honestly what makes it so perfect and delicious. It is a quick meal that is packed with flavor through simple ingredients. I was an immediate fan. So here i am, sharing my mother-in-law’s recipe with you all because i love it so much (ive gotten permission to share this recipe, btw!).
I hope you have a chance to try this recipe. It’s perfect for kids, meal prepping (like really perfect for meal prepping), quick weeknight meals or just a satisfying dish when the craving hits.
Give this recipe a try! Share your comments and some love. If you make this recipe and share it on social media, tag it with the hashtag #hungrilyhomemaderecipe
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-5 adult servings
Ingredients:
for the rice
1. 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
2. 1/2 tsp salt
3. 1 tbsp olive oil
4. 3 cups boiled water
for the curry
1. 2 tbsp olive oil
2. 2 large onions, diced
3. 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed
4. 2 cups frozen peas (or frozen peas & carrots)
5. 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
6. 3/4 cup chicken broth
7. salt & black pepper to taste
Method:
1. Prepare your rice and allow it to cook while the curry is cooking. To prepare your rice, rinse and drain your jasmine rice. Heat a medium sized pot with your olive oil and add the rinsed and drained rice to the pot. Stir and allow to sauté in the heat and oil for up to 2 minutes. Add the salt and top with the boiled water. Cover and let cook on low for approximately 18 minutes. Do not open the lid and check often. At the 15 minute mark, open the lid and check to see if the water disappeared and if the rice is tender and slightly al dente. Once the water is gone and your rice is cooked but still has a bite to it, turn the heat off and keep the lid on. Allow the steam to finish cooking and fluffing your rice for another 10-15 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, add the oil oil and heat through. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion to the pan and sauté for approximately 5 minutes to achieve translucent onions.
3. Add the cubed chicken thighs to the skillet once the onions are translucent and sauté for 6-8 minutes until the chicken changes color and begins to brown.
4. Add the curry powder, salt & black pepper to the chicken and onions and sauté for one minute.
5. Add the frozen peas to the skillet and toss with the curry powder, onions and chicken. Allow the peas to become coated in the spices.
6. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and simmer on low with the lid on for 5-10 minutes.
7. Turn the stove off when a light sauce has formed in the curry, the peas have softened and the chicken is cooked through.
8. Serve over the fluffy jasmine rice!
