Spicy chicken with a hint of sweetness from hot honey with crispy vegetables over fragrant basmati brown rice cooked with kidney beans in coconut milk for an amazing chicken curry stir-fry.
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Let’s Go East
The inspiration for this curry chicken stir-fry dish came from the love of a newly discovered dish I tried five years ago, Singapore Noodles. This noodle dish also originated in Cantonese Cuisine in Hong Kong. These stir-fried noodles are usually made with thin rice noodles called vermicelli and tossed in a curry sauce with a common mixture of bell peppers, onions, cabbage, beansprouts, carrots, shrimp, and chicken.
East Side Curry
Call me ignorant, but I didn't realize how much curry-spiced dishes were used in East Asian foods, like Chinese. For example, in North East Asia, like in Japan, the curry sauce with Katsu, Japanese breaded cutlets are usually served with root vegetables in a thick curry sauce and steamed rice.
The Asian Connection
I understand Singapore more because it's located in South East Asia. For instance, other countries used curries, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, with India on the west. However, the connection makes sense since Singapore has high transient traffic like Hong Kong, with a distance of about 1600 miles, shorter than New York to Seattle with 2400 miles.
West Side Curry
Now, experience the fusion of Asian and Jamaican flavors with the Chicken Curry Stir-Fry with Coconut Rice and Beans. This dish combines the aromatic spices and creamy textures of Asian curry with Jamaican curry's bold and spicy notes. Pairing the curry with coconut rice and beans adds memory authenticity and comfort, balancing the heat of the curry with the creamy coconut rice and adding a protein-rich element with the beans.
The Curry Influence
This modern twist on a traditional dish creates a dynamic and flavorful dining experience, evoking memories of enjoying traditional rice and beans in Jamaican cuisine. In the future, I would love to research the cuisine timeline in-depth to look at the history of how "curry powder," with its many versions (e.g., Jamaican, Japanese, Indian, etc.), has influenced each country’s cuisine along the way.
Please let me know if you have any great books or websites on the matter that you'd like to include! However, we also have to mention the Jamaican influence on this dish.
Rice and Peas! Okay, of course, this recipe is a quick rice cooker version, not the authentic slow-cooking, yummy, famous coconut rice and beans dish. Sorry, I just imagine smothering my rice with some curry stew gravy!
For more Asian-Inspired Dishes
- Hot Honey Sesame Chicken with Nappa Cabbage Stir-Fry
- Chicken Stir-Fry with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Green Beans in Hoisin
- Sweet and Spicy Gochujang Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry with Scallions
- Shishito Eggplant Shrimp Stir-Fry.
Looking for Authentic Jamaican and Chinese Recipes? Check out That Nurse Can Cook, Jamaican Food and Recipes, Omnivores Cookbook, and Greedy Girl Gourmet.
Ingredients and Instructions
I kept it simple for the rice in the rice cooker; you'll combine basmati brown rice. I also just love how fluffy this rice comes out with kidney beans, chicken broth, coconut milk, and salt. You'll set this and forget it while you focus on prepping and cooking the rest of the meal.
For the Sauce
This is made ahead of time but used at the end, thickened up, and then garnished with fresh herbs. You'll then whisk together chicken broth, hot honey, and cornstarch to thicken, scotch bonnet pepper for that Caribbean kick, with chopped fresh garlic, salt, and pepper.
For the Chicken
The chicken is sliced thin and quickly marinated in Jamaican curry powder, smoked paprika powder, dried thyme, olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper and set aside.
For the Vegetables
Stir-fry the onions to brown in the oil and the chicken bits left by searing the chicken earlier, then add cabbage, bell peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, and carrots. And then garnish with cilantro and scallions.
See the curry chicken stir-fry recipe card for quantities.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some detailed steps can be found there, like Important things you should know about cooking in a wok.
Recommended Tools & Ingredients
The idea was to make a quick version of curried chicken with rice, beans, and vegetables for a quick, healthy meal. I also wanted the flavor to be sweet and spicy, complementing the crispy fresh vegetables.
Substitutions
- No Coconut Milk? If you dislike coconut milk, you can substitute the milk for ½ cup more chicken broth.
- Hot Honey - Replace this with regular honey or brown sugar.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce - Use habanero pepper sauce, ½ teaspoon fresh/pickled Thai chilies, or ½ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes.
- Cornstarch - You can try sorghum flour, which is also gluten-free.
Change Heat Level - Modify the curry chicken stir-fry recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
- Cooking Rice on the Stove Top - You can cook the rice in a small sauce pot with a lid by bringing the water, coconut milk, and salt to a boil on medium heat.
- Once it starts to boil, add and combine the rice and beans, and reduce the heat to low-medium.
- When the liquid has evaporated from the surface, and you only see the rice with holes, cover it with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
- Do not lift the lid; cooking should take about 35 minutes. The rice will be done when all the liquid is gone and is tender to the bite.
- Curry Seafood Stir-Fry - Swap the chicken for shrimp or white flesh fish.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker - An option to cook the rice. To develop this recipe, I used the Aroma Housewares Digital Rice Cooker. It's a simple rice cooker I've also had for years. Another popular, highly-rated rice cooker I've seen people talk about is the Zojirushi Rice Cooker. It's expensive, but I would love to try it one day.
- Wok - Used for stir-frying the curry chicken stir-fry on high heat quickly. Additionally, I developed this recipe using the Bielmeier Carbon Steel Wok. It is also thoughtfully packaged with easy instructions to season the pan. On top of that, it is lightweight and the perfect size to store. Furthermore, it can come with a wooden or glass lid and utensils.
- Medium Holding Tray - Used to hold the stir-fried chicken. I suggest using a metal tray like the Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet Pan since it is the perfect size to place next to the stove to keep the ingredients warm.
- Mandoline - I used my Benriner Japanese Classic Slicer for this recipe to slice the carrots into thin, uniform matchsticks.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, place the rice and curry chicken stir-fry in a separate 2-inch shallow container to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. The rice and stir-fry will last up to three days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.
- Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking tips
Cutting Chicken Tip - If you use frozen chicken, thaw it out halfway to cut perfect slices. Learn more about prepping chicken.
Are you a big fan of curry? Then you must try the Curried Chickpeas and Mushrooms with Spiced Brown Basmati Rice recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Interestingly, stirfrying and sauteeing are similar since both require a small amount of oil on high heat. However, stirfrying is a quick cooking method to ensure the uniformly cut vegetables and meats are cooked to their optimum tenderness while staying crisp at a much higher temperature.
Stir-Fry Recipes
Looking for other stir-fry recipes like this? Try these:
- Shrimp and Pork Belly Pad Thai - Spring Roll Style
- Chicken Stir-Fry with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Green Beans in Hoisin Sauce
- Shishito Eggplant Shrimp Stir-Fry
- Sweet Spicy Sticky Gochujang Chicken Stir Fry
Poultry Recipes
Looking for other poultry recipes like this? Try these:
- Quick Spicy Potstickers | Chili Momo Tibetan Style
- Beituti Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl | Quick and Easy
- Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma | Quick with Beituti
- Creamy Curry Chicken Gnocchi Soup | Caribbean Style
📖 Recipe
Curry Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Rice and Beans
Ingredients
Coconut Rice and Beans
- 1 cup basmati brown rice
- ½ cup canned kidney beans drained
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Stir-Fry Sauce
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons hot honey
- ½ tablespoon cooking white wine
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetables for Stir Fry
- ¼ cup onion medium sliced
- ½ cup red bell pepper medium sliced
- ½ cup green bell pepper medium sliced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves with thin stems
- ¼ cup jalapeno halved and thinly sliced
- ¾ cup tomatoes thin wedges
- 1 cup carrots thinly sliced
- 1 cup napa cabbage thinly sliced
Chicken
- 1 pound of chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon Jamaican curry powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
For Wok/Pan Cooking
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼ cup scallions thinly sliced
Equipment
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Stir-frying is a quick-cooking technique, and you must have all your ingredients and supplies ready and on hand in a well-ventilated kitchen. Read more.
- Make the Rice: Using the rice cooker, rinse the basmati brown rice by covering it with water, massage it with water, and drain it with a strainer. Repeat this process two more times or until the water is clear.
- Then, add the broth, coconut milk, kidney beans, and salt. Set the rice cooker for brown rice or grains, depending on your rice cooker setting settings.
- Make the Stir-Fry Sauce: In a small mixing bowl with a whisk, combine the chicken broth, cornstarch, scotch bonnet pepper sauce, hot honey, and white wine and set aside.
- Prepare the Chicken: Slice the chicken into ¾ thick pieces. You can achieve this by butterflying the chicken, separating it into two cutlets, stacking, and thinly slicing.
- Combine the chicken, curry powder, smoked paprika, thyme, oil, salt, and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl with tongs.
- Cook the Chicken: Set up your wok or medium frying pan with the ingredients nearby. Heat the wok on medium-high heat oil.
- When the oil begins to smoke, evenly lay the chicken out and brown it on one side for about 2 minutes. Then flip the chicken and brown the other side for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and set it on a holding tray near the stove.
- Cook the Vegetables: Add oil again to the wok. Then, add the sliced onions and stir fry, occasionally stirring while scrapping the chicken bits for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring two tablespoons of water to remove the food pieces sticking to the wok; this should evaporate quickly. Then, add the cabbage and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir fry for 1 minute by occasionally stirring and allowing it to brown slightly. Then increase stove heat slightly higher, and wait 30 seconds while occasionally stirring the onions and cabbage.
- Add the water-based vegetables: tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, and carrots, and combine well.
- Stir fry for two to three minutes while occasionally stirring to allow them to brown slightly and the liquid to evaporate.
- Finish with Chicken: Increase the heat to high, add the chicken, and combine. Allow the pan to heat again for 30 seconds while occasionally stirring the ingredients.
- Complete the Stir-Fry: Add the stir-fry sauce, combine the sauce well with the ingredients, and cook for 30 seconds to thicken the sauce.
- Finally, remove the wok from the heat.
- Serve: Fluff the rice with the rice paddle by gently lifting the rice to release the steam. Then divide the rice among the servings on the plate. Top with the curry chicken stir-fry, and garnish with scallions.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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