Sweet and Hot Green Curry Chicken with Fruit

Longtime readers might remember the Chicken and Banana Curry recipe I came up with awhile ago.  That was pretty good, but I've continued to think a lot about Indian-style curries involving chicken and fruit.   A few weeks ago, I started putting together some ideas for a new dish, one that would be sweet and fruity but also pack a fair bit of heat.  On Monday night, I finally prepared this dish for the first time.

It turned out great... one of the better original recipes I've come up with, in fact.  It packs a bit of heat thanks to the curry spices and chili peppers, but this is balanced by a sweet, flavorful sauce (nicely thickened by simmering and by adding in some mashed banana) and an abundance of fruit.  Plus the addition of the cranberries adds both a bit of color and some tartness to the mix. 

I don't have much else to say about it, other than that I'd be very happy if some of our readers tried it out and told us what they think of the dish.

Green Curry Chicken with Fruit

2/3   cup + 1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3     green hot chiles

2     teaspoons minced garlic

1     tablespoon peeled and minced ginger

2     tablespoons lemon juice, divided

2     tablespoons plain yogurt

2     teaspoons curry powder

1     teaspoon ground cumin

1/4  teaspoon ground coriander

1/4  teaspoon cayenne pepper

3     boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces

2     tablespoons peanut oil

1     large onion, chopped fine

½    teaspoon black mustard seed

1     large (or two small) cinnamon sticks

1     cup chicken broth or stock

1     cup coconut milk

1     tablespoon sugar

½    teaspoon salt

2     bananas

1     can pineapple chunks or equivalent fresh pineapple, drained
1/3  cup fresh or 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, chopped
¼    cup golden raisins

Combine curry powder, cumin, cloves, coriander and cayenne pepper.  Set aside 2 tsp of the spice mix.

Place chicken bits in a large bowl.  Drizzle w/ 1 tbsp lemon juice, yogurt and the remainder of the spice mix.  Stir to coat, cover and set aside.

Puree 2/3 cup cilantro, chilis, garlic, ginger and 1 tbsp lemon juice in food processor.  Set aside

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion and cook until lightly browned, stirring often.  Add the mustard seed and the reserved spice mixture and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add cinnamon stick(s), cilantro mixture and chicken mixture and stir-fry 5 minutes..  Add chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the bananas. Slice 1 1/2 bananas into 1-inch chunks; mash the other 1/2 banana with a fork.  Stir the mashed banana into the skillet.   After the chicken mixture has simmered 10 minutes, stir in the rest of the fruit and cook for 1-2 minutes.   Remove from heat, top with remainder of the chopped cilantro and serve immediately with rice.    Top individual servings with 1/2 tablespoon shredded coconut, if desired.