Burmese Chicken Coconut Soup 

*A recipe that works!  

When Dave picked me up from yoga the other night, he smelled like curried coconut!  Maybe my smell buds are heightened after yoga, too.  Dave is officially the Monday night chef since he works from home that day.  I gave him this recipe to make, and it was divine and totally satisfied me!  

This soup was the perfect amount of spice-level and richness that fills me up, but isn't too heavy.  The coconut milk base is really what gives you a wonderful feeling of wellness.  Coconut water has been very popular in some hot yoga studios over the years, so why not have some more for dinner? Hope this recipe works as well with your tummies like it did mine!

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Before we get started, my goals for this blog are for recipes that meet one or both of the following criteria:

• works well with my body 
  
• quick and easy

Mondays are cheater nights for me since I have someone at home to help with the cooking.  If you have someone at home who is willing to cook, please have them make this for you!  If you live alone, make this on the weekend for the following week's meal plan.  I've learned that maintaining good eating habits is all about planning.  I've started to prep 2-3 meals on Sundays before the week starts.  That way, I'll only have to cook once, maybe twice, during the week nights.

*Any time a recipe goes well with my system after yoga, it is officially getting the tag "recipes that work."  It's getting a big fat "dooser" if it doesn't work.  Hopefully, that won't happen very much. I'll also either tag them "takes time" or "quick."

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Now, for some food!

Burmese Chicken-Coconut Soup

- makes 5 servings -

Adapted from From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail by Madhur Jaffrey.

Ingredients

For the curry soup
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 medium onions, finely sliced in half-rings
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chickpea and/or fava flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup coconut milk

For the noodles

12 to 16 ounces lo-mein, rice, or pasta noodles (we used rice noodles)

For the garnishes
Lime or lemon wedges
4 scallions, cut into thin rounds
2 hard boiled eggs, cut crosswise into slices
roasted chili powder

Instructions

1. Place the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and 4 tablespoons of water into a blender. Puree until smooth.

2. Spread the cut-up chicken out on a plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and let sit.

3. Place the flour in a bowl. Slowly add 1 cup of the chicken broth to mix well.

4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, toss in the chicken and stir-fry until lightly browned. 

5. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook slowly, allowing the onions to caramelize over the course of five to seven minutes. Towards the end of that time when the onions are beginning to brown, add the turmeric and paprika.

6. In a pot suited for soups, add the chicken along with the juices that will have settled, the sautéed onions, the onion and ginger puree, and the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth. Carefully add the chickpea flour and broth mixture, mixing quickly so that the flour won't clump.

7. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt, if needed.

8. Add the coconut milk. Stir to mix and return to a simmer. Serve with noodles and garnishes as desired.