Coconut rice with Chicken, Potato & Eggplant curry

Okay, I’m warning you guys in advance, this meal is pretty filling. But it is so, so good. (I know I say that in almost every recipe posted here, but that just shows how much I love you all. I give you ONLY the best recipes).
You don’t have to pair this dish in the same way – the coconut rice could be eaten by itself or with a spicy daal, and the chicken curry could be eaten with naan or plain rice.

Ingredients 

• 1/2 kg boneless chicken, cubed
• 1/2 kg potato, peeled and cubed
• 300 g eggplant, cubed
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 small onions, diced
• 3 inches pandan leaf, cut into strips
• 1 tbsp each, crushed/grated ginger & garlic
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp crushed dried fenugreek leaves
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• Sunflower/Vegetable oil as needed
• Salt, according to taste
• ½ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped

 

Coconut Rice 

• 2 cups rice
• 4 1/2 cup thin coconut milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 inches pandan leaf, cut into strips
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

 

Deep fry the potatoes and eggplant until golden and cooked through; set aside on paper towels.

In a large pan, heat the coconut oil on medium flame. Add the onions with the ginger and garlic, and sauté till translucent. Add the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and 3 tbsp of water. Cook, covered for 2 minutes on low flame.
Add the spices (turmeric, chilli, paprika and curry powders), the pandan leaf strips and the chicken. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes, covered.

Once cooked, turn off the heat, add the potatoes and eggplant along with the crushed fenugreek leaves, mix gently (so that the eggplant and potato do not break).
Mix in coriander leaves before serving.

 

Cook the rice with the coconut milk on medium flame (because coconut milk has a tendency to burn quickly), along with the salt and pandan leaf strips.
Heat the oil in a wok, add the onions and garlic, sauté until translucent. Add the grated coconut, and turn off flame when it starts to turn light golden.
Add the cooked rice to the wok and mix well.

Note:

I served this dish alongside a lime-mint soda, which is basically 7UP or Sprite, blended together with lime zest, mint leaves and lots of ice.

When serving, make sure one part of the dish is hot, while the other is room temperature. I usually like to make sure the rice is at room temperature while the curry is hot. I’m not sure how, or why, but it tastes better!