Chicken with Szechuan pepper and ginger

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g chicken fillet(s)
• 2 cups basmati rice
• ½ bulb(s) of ginger
• 1 chili pepper(s)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 turmeric root
• 1 tsp Szechuan pepper
• Nutmeg, freshly grated
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• Salt
• 6 cardamom pods
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 165 ml coconut milk
• ¼ liter chicken broth
• 1 tbsp, heaped almond flakes

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

simple and exotic

Finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chili. Crush the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle and remove the hard shells. Grind the Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Cut the chicken fillet into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Bring the rice to a boil in the same amount of water, immediately reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer. Heat the oil in a pan. Sauté the onion, garlic, turmeric, and ginger for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the almond slivers, Sichuan peppercorns, tomato paste, curry powder, cardamom, and nutmeg. Deglaze with a little chicken stock and add the coconut milk. Let it simmer for a while. Season the shredded chicken with salt, add it to the pan, stir well, and let it simmer for a few minutes. If the dish is too dry, add a little chicken stock. Mix with 1 tablespoon of parsley and ghee. Arrange the dish on a bed of rice, garnish with parsley and a little ghee, and serve immediately. Be careful when using Sichuan peppercorns. The dosage is very individual, as the pepper has a very distinctive aroma. It’s best to use it carefully the first time. Once you get a taste for it, you’ll be crazy about the flavor.