Entrees with Fruit - Chicken

Cooking with chicken is a delight both in terms of the process and in the end result. Chicken breasts stir fried in a wok with a multiplicity of nuts and vegetables can be exhilarating. My own favorite, however is a chicken curry cooked with apples, plums, dried apricots and served on a bed of rice. Cooked in a large pot this can provide a meal for two or three days - especially if you have a rice cooker - and the beauty of is that it tastes better each day as the infusion of flavors matures. This is a great dish for summer when it should be served a little spicier as this will refresh you; or on a winters day when it will warm you like an exotic stew.

You can either bake the chicken to start with, in which case slice skinned chicken breast (about 3 lbs) into inch wide strips and place in a well oiled baking pan. I usually dust the chicken with a combination of cumin, flour, ginger, turmeric and curry powder. Bake for about 20 minutes on 325 and it will be tender. The alternative is to just start with 4 cups of water in a large (ideally heavy bottomed) stock-pot. If you don't have a heavy bottom pot then make sure that you simmer and stir. From here on in it is just a matter of adding ingredients.

Personally I like to prepare some flavors first to infuse the chicken. Pour 4 cups of water in the pot and heat on low. Take 4 Granny Smith apples, peel and core them then slice them into 8 pieces and then cut each slice into thirds. Put all the apple chunks in the pot along with 1 ½ tbsp of sugar. Repeat the process with two or three pears (no more sugar!), I favor Anjou but Bosc are fine, especially if a little overripe. Trim and cut the chicken breasts into one inch cubes and put them in the pot. Add 1 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of cumin. Grate just over an inch of fresh ginger root. You can add any other spices you wish at this point, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon and even oregano and basil are all good, though this is definitely a point of personal preference.

Dice one large onion and add it to the pot. I find that plums are perfect with chicken. Slice and remove the stones from about 6 - 8 plums. Plums, apart from the high vitamin C content, are rich in anti-oxidants. They have a high iron content which is good for the blood, and, with the turmeric, are excellent combatant of asthma. Plums also prevent ocular degeneration and promote good eyesight. With their high fiber content plums are nutritionally rich (and taste really good)! To round off the curry I put in a handful of raisins and a handful of dried apricots. Keep an eye on the liquid level as you do not want it all absorbed; the four cups to start should be fine however as long as you keep it simmering.

The total cooking time in the pot should be about an hour although a lot of the fruit preparation can be done while you are cooking. Serve the curry on a bed of white rice and if it is too spicy for your taste slice up a banana (uncooked) as this will cool your mouth. Do not drink water or juices if your mouth is over-spiced, this only spreads the heat, instead eat a mouthful of curry then a mouthful of rice - the rice absorbs the spices. This is a basic recipe and will allow you to experiment, add some coconut or vary the fruits. If you do like spicy food I recommend you get a bottle of Thai green curry paste and use this instead of the curry powder.

Sources : lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-plums-1918.html
www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2032/2