Mango Chicken Curry

You know the part in Ratatouille when Remy is teaching Emile about food and when he takes bites and then combines flavors, bursts of color, lines, and music band together to make a wonderful creation? Yeah there was definitely a lot of that going on here. Swirly and curly sweetness combines with splatters of spicy curry to create a perfectly balanced and complimentary combination of flavors that make up this mango chicken curry. The prominent figures are chicken, curry, and raisins, but if you pay close attention you can also detect the subtle coconut, ginger, and cumin. The mango and chicken chunks sometimes look similar, so it can be a surprise to discover what each forkful holds. This has definitely become my new favorite dish to eat and to prepare. Not only was it fun, it was not terribly complicated, and it produced delicious results. Every step of this recipe was enjoyable, and I was absolutely delighted with every bite.
Original recipe found here.

3 T (or more) Vegetable Oil
1 Large Onion
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 T Yellow Curry Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 T Minced Ginger
2 Mangos, peeled and diced
2 T White Vinegar
1 1/4 C Water
1 1/4 lbs Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 C Golden Raisins
1/2 C Coconut Milk
Salt and pepper
Fresh Cilantro for Garnish

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and another tablespoon of oil. cook for a couple more minutes. Add curry powder and cumin and continue to cook for a few more minutes. The spices will absorb some of the oil, so if anything begins to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil. Add ginger and garlic. Cook for one minute more.

2. Add the vinegar, water, and 1/2 of the chopped mango to the pan. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the sauce into a blender. Puree the sauce, pulsing until smooth. return the sauce to the pan.

3. Add chicken pieces and raisins to the pan. Return to a low simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chicken should be just cooked through. Use a knife to cut open the largest piece to check.

4. Add remaining mango pieces to the pan. Stir in the coconut milk. Let cook at a very low temperature for another minute or two. Adjust seasonings. If it's a little too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If it's not sweet enough, add a dash of sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro. Serves 4.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty