Grilled Vadouvan Chicken Skewers
Vadouvan is a French curry mixture that was created in India during French Colonialism. It is a blend that was based off of Vadagam, an indian masala in which the spices are toasted, rolled with castor oil into balls and left to dry in the sun. The French version utilizes the same concepts and base flavorings, but with a large emphasis on Shallots, Garlic, and Thyme. We prefer to really let the spice mix do the talking here.
INGREDIENTS
Vadouvan Spiced Chicken Thighs, Cut into 1 inch cubes
Fresh Pineapple, Cut into 1 inch cubes
Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes
Long Wooden Skewers, soaked in water for 10 minutes
Coconut Basmati Rice (recipe to follow)
Cilantro, Chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Follow the recipe below to cook your rice first. We want to let it rest a bit while we cook our skewers.
After your skewers have soaked in cold water for 10 minutes (this will prevent them from catching on fire on the grill), begin building the skewers by alternating one cube of chicken, one cube of pineapple and one cube of bell pepper. Repeat as many times as you like on the skewer.
Place your skewers on a medium heat grill and rotate them every two minutes until the chicken has reached its required internal temperature of 165*.
Serve the skewers on top of your coconut rice and garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro.
Coconut Rice:
1 (14 ounce) can Coconut Milk, well shaken
1 ¾c Water
2c White Basmati Rice
1tsp Sea Salt
1tsp Lime Zest
Measure out 1 ½ cups of the canned coconut milk and add to a medium saucepan (reserving the remaining coconut milk for later).
To the saucepan, add the water, rice and salt. Mix to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, turn down the heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Turn off the heat, then let stand covered for 5 to 10 minutes untouched.
Fluff the rice with a fork, then gently stir in the lime zest and remaining coconut milk. Let the rice stand uncovered for another 5 minutes, then serve!