Cardamom Chicken with Coconut Rice

This is an oh-so-delicious dinner, based on a recipe by Lotta Lundgren in an awesome new Swedish cookbook called "Om jag var din hemmafru" ("If I was your housewife"). I'll tell you about the book in a little while, I need to review it properly as it's really one of the best cookbooks to come out in a long time.

I'll make this again, but I'll change a few things. I think I'll use cream instead of milk to soak the coconut, and add it to the chicken mince. And I don't think the breadcrumbs are necessary in that case, since cream seems to bind the mince fairly well. And I might skip toasting the cardamom, to me, it didn't make a big difference.

Serve it with something fruity. Lotta suggests mango chutney, and I happened to have a bottle of Mango-Ginger Habanero Sauce that was awesome. Stir-fried veggies would be good as well, and a pinch of cilantro is always a good idea.

Cardamom Chicken with Coconut Rice
Serves 4

450 g chicken thighs (or breast)
1 egg
50 ml breadcrumbs
50 ml coconut flakes (unsweetened)
3 tbsp milk
salt
1 tsp whole cardamom seeds
butter, for frying

300 ml basmati rice
1 can - 400 ml - coconut milk
200 ml water
a pinch of salt

Start by soaking the coconut in the milk for about half an hour.

Toast the cardamom in a dry skillet for a minute or so, and then grind to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar. Cut the chicken into large dice, and mince in a food processor - it'll be super fast, so don't overmix.

Drain the coconut flakes, and mix with the chicken mince, cardamom, egg, breadcrumbs and salt. Shape flattened patties, and fry in a little butter for about 5 minutes on each side.

For the rice, mix the rice, coconut milk, water and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let the rice simmer, covered, until the rice is soft and the liquid is absorbed. (20-25 minutes.)

Recipe in Swedish:
Kardemummakyckling med kokosris