Author:
Kevin Curry
Quick Chicken & Eggplant Masala Recipe
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Quick Chicken & Eggplant Masala Recipe
Ingredients for 4 servings
Substitution
Note
- 5 small Roma tomatoes (for roasting)
- SUBSTITUTE: 1 can (14.5oz) roasted or diced tomatoes
- avocado (or olive) oil spray
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 1 small eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb chicken breast, chopped Into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
- SUBSTITUTE: 2 tablespoons curry powder + 1 teaspoon allspice + 2 teaspoons cumin)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
- 4 tablespoons tomato PASTE, not sauce
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk (OR heavy cream)
- SUBSTITUTE: lite canned coconut milk to reduce fat calories
- water (as needed)
- Garnish
- fresh mint
- fresh cilantro
Steps
Step 1
Set oven to 420F.
Step 2
Add roma tomatoes to a baking tray lined with parchment or foil. Lightly spray with oil, then add a sprinkle of sea salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are blistered and soft.
Step 3
Set a nonstick skillet on high heat, once hot lightly spray with oil, then add the chicken and the eggplant. Allow it to sear in the skillet for 1 -2 minutes without stirring. As it sears, sprinkle in sea salt & pepper. Then begin to stir it around – just try to create good sear marks, do not worry about cooking it all the way through. Remove the chicken and eggplant after about 4 minutes in the skillet and no worries if the chicken is not cooked all the way.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to medium and make sure the skillet is not TOO hot (remove it from the heat if so). Add onions and garlic and caramelize for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions have turned slightly brown and are translucent.
Step 5
Then add garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, ginger and tomato paste. Continue stirring until you create a dry, thick paste in the skillet. Be careful that the heat is not too high to burn the paste.
Step 6
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the roasted tomatoes to the skillet and begin to mash and mix them in to the paste. The tomatoes should be soft enough that they are exploding in the skillet.
Step 7
Add coconut milk and continue stirring. Add tablespoons of water as needed until you reach your desired level of sauce thickness. Mix.
Step 8
Add chicken and eggplant to the skillet and reduce the heat to low to simmer. Cover and cook for at least 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt.
Quick Chicken & Eggplant Masala Recipe
Kevin Curry
- 5 small Roma tomatoes (for roasting)
- SUBSTITUTE: 1 can (14.5oz) roasted or diced tomatoes
- avocado (or olive) oil spray
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 1 small eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb chicken breast, chopped Into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
- SUBSTITUTE: 2 tablespoons curry powder + 1 teaspoon allspice + 2 teaspoons cumin)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
- 4 tablespoons tomato PASTE, not sauce
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk (OR heavy cream)
- SUBSTITUTE: lite canned coconut milk to reduce fat calories
- water (as needed)
- Garnish
- fresh mint
- fresh cilantro
-
Set oven to 420F.
-
Add roma tomatoes to a baking tray lined with parchment or foil. Lightly spray with oil, then add a sprinkle of sea salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are blistered and soft.
-
Set a nonstick skillet on high heat, once hot lightly spray with oil, then add the chicken and the eggplant. Allow it to sear in the skillet for 1 -2 minutes without stirring. As it sears, sprinkle in sea salt & pepper. Then begin to stir it around – just try to create good sear marks, do not worry about cooking it all the way through. Remove the chicken and eggplant after about 4 minutes in the skillet and no worries if the chicken is not cooked all the way.
-
Reduce the heat to medium and make sure the skillet is not TOO hot (remove it from the heat if so). Add onions and garlic and caramelize for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions have turned slightly brown and are translucent.
-
Then add garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, ginger and tomato paste. Continue stirring until you create a dry, thick paste in the skillet. Be careful that the heat is not too high to burn the paste.
-
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the roasted tomatoes to the skillet and begin to mash and mix them in to the paste. The tomatoes should be soft enough that they are exploding in the skillet.
-
Add coconut milk and continue stirring. Add tablespoons of water as needed until you reach your desired level of sauce thickness. Mix.
-
Add chicken and eggplant to the skillet and reduce the heat to low to simmer. Cover and cook for at least 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt.
Nutrition per serving
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!