Thai Chicken in Peanut & Basil Sauce

Toast 1 cup of the rice in a dry, clean pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the rice. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to cool. For a more crunchy consistency, grind the rice in a food processor. For a finer consistency, use a coffee grinder (one that’s reserved for spices, not coffee beans) to grind the rice. Set the ground rice aside.

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, curry powder and the Sriracha. Continue mixing while carefully streaming in the soy sauce and lime juice. Add the ground chicken and gently mix to combine.

Chop a medium onion.

Gently heat the oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent, golden in color and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

While the onions are browning, cook the remaining 2 cups of rice. I prefer fluffy long-grain basmati rice, but any kind you like will do.
Rinse rice several times in a pot until the water is no longer cloudy. Then drain off the water. Add 3 cups of clean water and a pinch of salt. Put the lid on the pot and cook according to package instructions.

Once the onions are translucent add the minced garlic and ginger into the pan. Add the chicken mixture and break it up with a wooden fork, making sure to incorporate well in the pan. It won’t take long for the chicken to cook. Once the chicken is mostly browned add the ground, toasted, dry rice and mix gently to incorporate.

Wash and slice the Japanese eggplants on the bias (looks pretty). Remove the stem and seeds and chop the banana peppers. At this point, the chicken should be fully cooked. Add both to the pan and gently heat.

Shortly before serving, chop and add the fresh mint.

Pile about 10-15 basil leaves on top of each other and roll as if making a cigarette. Using a very sharp knife, finely slice across the roll, creating ribbons of basil. This technique is called the chiffonade and minimizes the bruising that usually happens with slicing/chopping basil.

Fluff the rice gently with a fork.

Serve chicken over the fluffy rice, top with a dab of Sriracha and a sprinkling of fresh basil. Or you can go Paleo and skip the rice and just wrap the chicken in lettuce.