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green tip

Go for free-range certified organic chicken that is free of antibiotics, hormones, and artificial ingredients. Plus no herbicides or pesticides are used in their feed. They are also treated more humanely while alive.

coconut chicken curry over basmati rice with almonds and raisins

SERVES 6

In Ayurveda, the ancient healing philosophy of India, there are six key tastes: sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent. All of these elements are represented in this beautiful curry. This dish can be served with a simple green salad and is filling enough to be a complete meal. The sweetness of the raisins adds such a lovely balance to the spicy curry chicken.

coconut curry chicken

2

tablespoons vegetable oil

1

large yellow onion, cut in half, and then sliced 1/4 inch thick

2

teaspoons mustard seeds

2

teaspoons minced garlic

2

teaspoons minced ginger

11/2

teaspoons ground cumin

11/2

teaspoons ground coriander

11/2

tablespoons curry powder

4

skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 13/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch strips

11/2

cups plain yogurt

rice

11/2

cups basmati rice, rinsed

1/2

cup raisins

5

cardamom pods

1/2

cup slivered almonds (see Cook’s Note)

3

tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

1. To prepare the chicken, heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and curry powder. Add the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Lower the heat, add the yogurt, and stir until mixed thoroughly.

2. To make the rice, combine 3 cups of water, the rice, raisins, and cardamom in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit with the lid on for a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the almonds, cilantro, and salt.

3. Serve the curry chicken over the basmati rice on a large serving platter or on individual plates.

* * *

COOK’S NOTE: If slivered almonds are not readily available, you can substitute raw cashew halves. Cashews taste and look great and are actually quite common in Indian dishes.

* * *

“green” salt

A good cook needs very few essential items in the kitchen—a good knife, a sturdy pot, and a little pot of salt. While salt is a crucial element in almost every dish, it wasn’t always relegated to the kitchen. In past centuries, it has been used as a form of currency, as part of religious rituals, and as a preservative. The power of these tiny white crystals is astonishing. We literally can’t live without salt or sodium; it is a mineral that your body cannot produce on its own.

Using the word “organic” with salt is tricky because salt cannot be organically grown; it is a mineral, not a plant. However, there are countries that regulate salt labels to ensure that the product is harvested by hand without harming the environment and without purifying the salt (altering it chemically) in any way. Right now only three countries have this certification: New Zealand, Wales, and France. Bio-Gro is New Zealand’s seal for organic salt, while Wales has a Soil Association certified stamp for its organic salt. France’s Nature & Progrés label is given to salt that is harvested and produced according to organic methods and standards, which means the salt is unprocessed and all-natural. The label guarantees that the salt was harvested with nonpolluting tools from an unpolluted environment free of pesticides and other contaminants. There are several French brands that are certified in this manner.

One specialty salt certified by France’s Nature & Progrés is fleur desel. This type of sea salt is harvested on the coast of Brittany, in France. It has different flavors, depending on the exact location where it