Bella Cooks: Lowfat Chicken Curry

I got this recipe from my friend Alice, who made it for me last Saturday night.  I enjoyed it so much that I made it last night for dinner. It is by far one of my favorite recipes ever. It’s quick and easy and you can find all of the ingredients in your local grocery store.

Lowfat Chicken Curry

Nutritionals: since the sauce is made with all low cal/ low fat ingredients, this recipe makes 4 servings, 5 Points each.

Ingredients:

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 granny smith apple
1 onion
3 celery stalks
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup skim milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp coconut extract
2 TBSP flour
3-4 TBSP curry powder
3 cloves minced garlic
salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

I chose to use spicy curry powder, which was easy to find in the spice aisle at my grocery store.

I decided that my side dishes would be white rice and asparagus. (The rice is great for soaking up the sauce and counteracting any spiciness).  The asparagus is so good for you, and I think that green goes nicely with the rest of the colors in the dish.  (The rice and the asparagus aren’t counted in the nutrition info above).

To begin, boil the chicken breasts for 20-30 minutes.

About 10 minutes into the chicken breasts cooking, begin cooking the rice.

While both of those things are bubbling away on the stove, begin chopping the onions, apple, and celery stalks.  Add olive oil to the pan, and slowly saute each thing in a large pan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. You can also add salt and pepper, if you’d like.

Once this is cooked a bit, add milk, chicken broth, and flour.  Then add curry powder, to taste.  I used at least 4 TBSP. At this point the chicken should be cooked.  Remove it from the pot and cut it into bite-sized pieces.  Add it to the sauce.

I normally never boil chicken, but since that’s the way that Alice cooked it for this dish, I followed her lead.  And it was so juicy and delicious that I think I’m going to start boiling more chicken for salads, etc.  You could probably use grilled chicken or even a roasted chicken from the grocery store, if you’d like.  I personally think the boiled chicken is best because it retains its moisture and doesn’t interfere with the other ingredients’ flavors.

Mix the chicken and the sauce and continue cooking until it reaches the desired consistency.  Using the coconut extract is a great way to mimic the flavor of coconut milk without all of the fat and calories.  (Have you looked at the nutritionals for coconut milk?  It’s outrageous!)

Isn’t it gorgeous?  And so fragrant!

At this point my rice was done and I had Zip n’ Steamed my asparagus, so dinner was ready.  Keeping track of the timing of each element of the dinner (including the sides) helps make this dinner quick and easy. It probably took 35-40 minutes from start to finish.

I love how the cup of white rice looks against the deep yellow of the curry chicken on the plate.  So simple yet so beautiful.

I dare you to find anything more delicious (and low cal) at any Indian restaurant.

I highly recommend this recipe.  It would be great for company because it makes quite a bit, and your guests will surely think you’re an exotic, gourmet chef.  I’m giving my leftovers to my parents, which is a total role reversal, because my mom is the one who always gives leftovers to me.  I can’t wait to hear how they like it.  I definitely think my mom is going to be impressed with my culinary skills.

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