Chicken Satay with Couscous & Pomegranates

Ma Nourriture

All thanks go to an Indian chef from Delhi in the 1950's who accidentally created this godsend. It was common practice in India to throw leftovers into a pot with tomatoes and garlic. On the day the leftovers included chicken and cream, butter chicken was born.

I less accidentally created my own sensitive foodie version of it that's free from onions, milk and fresh tomatoes!

I met this long-time love in the form of traditional Cape Malay cuisine. Don't be misled, there's very little Malaysian about it. The misnomer refers to the Muslim community in Cape Town I grew up in - one of the many rainbow cultures unique to South Africa.

Unable to ditch my love when I realised I was milk-intolerant, I tried it with oat and soya milk before finding the magic with coconut cream. It does change the taste to a more coconutty sweetness, which works for me because it means I can skip the sugar that's usually added and I love coconut. If you're not a fan then I recommend trying other plant-based creams.

I also discovered a lucky onion cookaround - I'm less intolerant to leeks!

Ingredients

Look out for: ♡ swaps we love ! potential sensitivities 🅥 vegan alternatives

628 cal/serving
Allergens: milk
Vitamins B, C, K
Calcium

Serves 4

Chicken breasts cut into cubes

4

! Tomato puree

1 tbsp (14.2g) 15ml

♡ Kefir yoghurt Learn about kefir >

1 cup (125g) 250ml Buy

! Garlic cloves or paste Learn about garlic

2 cloves (1 tsp paste)

! Leek chopped Learn about leeks >

half

♡ Oat milk Learn about oats >

1/2 cup (122g) 125ml Buy

♡ Coconut cream

1 tin (386g) 400ml Buy

Grass-fed butter Learn about grass-fed

2 tbsp (30g) 30ml

Basmati rice

2 cups

Fresh coriander chopped

Handful

Spices...

Paprika (unsmoked)

Ground cumin

Garam masala

Salt & pepper

2 tbsp 30ml

1/2 tsp 2.5ml

1 tsp 5ml

Swapsies

! I use tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes. Although they are not high FODMAP foods, they do contain fructans and are acidic so some sensitive foodies, like bestie and I, react to them. We find we don't react to puree.

♡ Swap buttermilk for kefir or homemade sour milk. Kefir is fermented milk that's very low in lactose making it a great buttermilk swap for most sensitive foodies. But it's not for everyone and can be hard to find. You can swap it for any milk or milk alternative with a tablespoon (15ml) of fresh lemon juice. 🅥

! Garlic is a high FODMAP food. I don't react to it in small amounts but if you're not sure what you're reacting to, garlic and onions are well-known offenders. You can still use garlic-infused olive oil, but replace the fresh garlic with chives and/or mustard seeds.

! If you're intolerant to the entire alium family (onions, leeks, garlic) remove both the leeks and the garlic. The curry will be just great without them.

♡ I used oat milk instead of dairy. You can use any milk alternative you prefer. I don't recommend making your own oat milk for this recipe as the reamy texture is quite important and difficult to get right. 🅥

♡ Coconut cream is my swap for single dairy cream or milk used in the traditional recipe. 🅥

If you're vegan, you can swap the chicken for tofu. Just be sure to check that the soya it's made from is sustainably farmed. 🅥

Where to buy:

Method

First

THE CHICKEN

Cut the chicken breasts into cubes.
Season with all the spices and tomato puree, pour the kefir in and massage it in well.
Bring a pan to medium heat and add a slice of butter
Add the chicken cubes to the pan to grill for 10 min, stirring regularly.

Then

THE SAUCE

Crush the garlic with a mortar & pestle (if cloves).
Bring a pan to high heat, melt 1 tsp of butter. Add the garlic and chopped leak.
Fry for 5 min stirring intermittently.
Add 1 tbs ml oat milk and then the chicken cubes, stir well and leave for a minute or two.
Slowly add the rest of the milk and simmer for 10 min.
Add the cream and the rest of the butter. Leave for another 10 min, stirring now and then.
Add salt & pepper to taste.