Mango chicken/tofu curry

‍The science of eating well: exotic, healthy, quick and delicious recipes.

I cook primarily for Alicia, though once a week I prepare a dish with Tribe members in mind. There is seldom a conflict and any dish I prepare which doesn’t pass the Alicia test (which is that she wants it repeated) doesn’t make the TR cut.

This isn’t just a “she who must be obeyed” situation. We mostly like the same foods—although she watches my diet. I occasionally sneak a piece of chocolate—dark, sugar-free of course (after all it’s good for you)—when she’s otherwise occupied.

Today’s TR recipe is a hit with both of us.

Alicia is a mango fanatic. There’s no other way to put it. I love mangoes, for eating and for cooking, but I am a mere enthusiast by comparison.

The mango chicken that you get in restaurants or food halls is usually crawling with sugar, salt and/or tropical oils. They should be avoided like the plague—especially as a reduced calorie and healthy version of the dish is so easy to make.

Mangoes are a very healthy fruit. They’re loaded with antioxidants and so great for the immune system, and some research shows that they are good for the skin and eyes as well.

The tofu option is, generally, healthier than the chicken option since tofu has a lot of health benefits which chicken doesn’t. However, chicken breast is the healthiest of meats. I have made this dish with both and it’s delicious with either. I slightly prefer the chicken version, Alicia prefers the tofu.

Onion, ginger and garlic are all superfoods, and they work wonderfully together. Overall, this is a delicious, healthy and relatively low-calorie meal.

I wish I could say I found it in some exotic location. I didn’t, the fact is that I was sent the original recipe by Tribe member Carolyn, and I confess to have made a lot of modifications to the original. My mother, who was a good cook (she held a Cordon Bleu certification) said that the essence of cooking was to “use your imagination and wash up as you go.” She actually came to hate cooking and passed the chore onto me as soon as she could. I left home at 15 and I’m not sure who cooked for her after that.

I think that she would’ve liked this dish (not the tofu version).

Serve it with brown basmati rice (Alicia prefers black rice).

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‍Ingredients

• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tblsp minced garlic
• 4 tblsp minced ginger
• 2 tblsp curry powder
• 1 tsp each pepper
• 3 ripe mangos, peeled, chopped, and divided (or 3 cups frozen and thawed mango)
• 400 ml (14 oz) can light coconut milk (I go half and half with fat-free yoghurt)
• 500 gms (1 lb) boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces/ firm tofu cut into small squares
• Minced cilantro, to serve

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‍Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and saute for 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
2. Transfer the onion mixture to your blender then add the curry powder, pepper, 1 cup of mangoes, and the coconut milk to the blender and blend on high until smooth.
3. Return the sauce to the skillet then add the chicken and ½ cup of water and stir. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Lower the heat if the sauce begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. If using tofu, pan fry the tofu for a minute or so before this stage and reduce the cooking time to about 10 minutes.
4. When the chicken pieces are fully cooked, add the remaining mango to the pan and serve.

‍Serves: 4

‍Energy: 1280 kJs (320 calories)