Chicken Pineapple Coconut Curry

            I love coconut and pineapple.  Whoever invented the Pina Colata was very smart, understanding how great these two flavors mix.  Both of these fruits have something in common:  you must work before you can feast.  Ok, the pineapple is much easier than the coconut, but it is more work that an apple or an orange.  I remember my husband Brian letting the kids pick out a coconut at the store.  He shook many of the rough shrunken heads to show them how they needed to make sure the milk inside was not dried up.  Once we got home, Brian took a screwdriver and hammer, the kids circling around him like a wagon train, watching dad make three holes to remove the milk.  “Who wants to drink the milk?”  We all shared the third of a cup of clear liquid.  He took the hammer again and wacked the nut until the hard shell broke open.  The kids danced around, excited at their dad’s achievement in getting the firm, sweet white flesh out of its shell.  Serving pineapple was another of my husband’s great rituals.  He took the kids into the produce section of Meijer’s and look for the biggest fruit in the store.  The bigger the fruit, the longer it lasted.  At home, Brian gathered the kids around our large German knife and cutting board, and the “cutting of the pineapple” began.  Even this turned into some kind of party.  I always left these jobs to him.  Once he had the bright idea to salvage the pineapple core, so he and Ted ate the whole core in one sitting, along with some other pieces.  Ted’s painful whitened tongue did not heal right away, and to this very day he will not go near a fresh pineapple.  Me either.  

            Chicken Pineapple Coconut Curry

Before you start cooking the dish, start cooking your rice.  Timing in cooking is almost as important as taste.  If your timing is off, you might be eating some of the food hot and the other parts cool or even cold.  Make sure that the rice is Basmati Indian rice.  Never use Minute rice with one of my dishes! 

In a pan sauté sliced mushrooms, two chopped carrots, diced onion, one clove of garlic and a green pepper.  Cook until desired firmness is achieved; some days I like my vegetables snappier than other days.  When the vegetables are finished, place them in a bowl and set aside until later.  Take three chicken breasts and cut them into little pieces.  Place these in the pan and cook until done, that is, no translucent meat.  Next, add the vegetables, one can of crushed pineapple, a can of coconut milk and two tablespoons of Patak’s Tikka Masala Curry Past.  If you cannot find the paste in your store, use curry.  As always, salt and pepper to taste. If you like a bit of heat, add cayenne pepper.