CITRUS CHICKEN WITH PEANUTS, APRICOT & MINT!

I was suppose to post this yesterday but got very little time and never could really sit down to write! Most of you must have tried or at least heard of chicken and apricot…well, I came across the apricot-chicken combination only very recently. Since, then it has been on my mind. This recipe just happened as I went in hunting down the refrigerator.

The question was what would taste good with apricot and chicken?? Well, a sauce with orange juice is what first came into my mind, next the crunch….nuts were on my mind…but which one…. Remembered a Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe that had chicken coated in peanuts. Mint just happen as I took some out to garnish tried eating a little with mint leaves and I was sure this dish would be unfinished without it.

Jasmine rice will make a great accompaniment for this dish. Or you could just have it as one dish meal. I did thatJ. Don’t go for bread though.

If you read on, you’ll find that I have not used any extra salt in the chicken except while marinating and salted peanuts. That would give enough flavour and you won’t need to use extra. Use freshly ground ginger for marinating chicken. ‘DON’T’ use store bought ginger paste. You can use olive oil instead of butter. Also, don’t opt out on the green chillies this time because the heat simply adds to the flavour. Strictly, use freshly made orange juice.

Oh! And by the way don’t throw the water you are soaking apricots in, we need that too J

Ingredients: (Serves-3)

Chicken breast – 3 fillets cut into thin strips

Dry apricot – 8 soaked in a cup of water for few hours and chopped into small cubes
water drained from soaked apricots

Freshly Made Orange juice- 3 cups

Roasted Peanuts (salted) -1 cup

Mint- leaves only- from 3 sprigs chopped

Apple cider vinegar- ¼ teaspoon

Sugar- ¾ tablespoon

Butter – 1 tablespoon

Marinade for chicken:

Freshly ground ginger paste- 1 teaspoon

Green chilly- 3 (increase for more spicy)

Lime juice- 1 tablespoon
Orange zest- 2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

Method:

1.       Marinate chicken in listed ingredients and refrigerate for 15mins.

2.       Meanwhile, melt butter in a large sauce pan.

3.       Add orange juice, water drained from soaked apricots and sugar.
          Let it simmer on a high flame.

4.       When the quantity reduces to “ALMOST” half, add chicken and stir.

5.       Now let the mixture cook with lid closed till it starts to thicken.

6.       Open peanuts pack and empty it into the pan.

7.       Mix well and switch heat off when consistence is as thick as in picture.

1 n 2 is marinating chicken while 3 is when we are almost ready to switch off the heat!!

    8.       Garnish with chopped mint leaves and serve with jasmine rice or basmati.
              Other wise, you always have the option of doing what I did J !!

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