Kerala Coconut Chicken Salad with Glass Noodles

Kerala, India is an excellent place to visit as long as tigers don’t chase you and you enjoy hot humid tropical weather with at least eighty percent humidity. Besides threats of tiger maulings, Kerala is a fantastic tropical destination to spend a few days in the jungles of southern India. The beaches of Kerala may be hot and humid under the coconut palms, but this tropical climate has some absolutely world-class delicious cuisine, well worth sweating a bit to enjoy, especially when the fishermen are pulling the lobsters out of the Arabian Sea right in front of you. I literally wanted to learn how to make every dish I tasted while on holiday in Kerala at Poovar Island Resort two winters ago. Well except for this absolutely fantastic lobster that was studded with the spiciest Indian chilis I have ever consumed in my life. What would possess me to shove an entire hot Indian chili into my face you may ask? Well, I thought it was a green bean. Yup and that is how I spent fifteen minutes of this dinner time in the restaurant’s restroom literally crying and hating myself and just wanting to return to my lobster dinner. But after my mouth stopped feeling like a hot hell hole I managed to go back to my seat (And yes, with every single person in the tropical restaurant staring at the stupid American who not only refused to swim in her gym clothes at the pool, but also consumed whole chilis)

Basically the unique and delicious food of Kerala is full of coconut oil, coconut milk and so much fresh-caught seafood, but whatever you do, take this advice, don’t shove a whole chili in your face!

Want a small taste of the magical tropics of Kerala India from your own hometown and without the tropical thrills of the hottest chilis you can consume off the coast of the Arabian Sea? This delicious and easy southern India inspired salad is world class delicious and perfect on a sweltering hot summers day. No need to turn on the oven; Just marinate these chicken thighs for 12-24 hours and grill them up on the BBQ.

Kerala Coconut Chicken Salad with Glass Noodles

For the marinade

You will need one package of chicken thighs with skin attached. Marinate 12-24 hours.

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon corinader

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

For the Peanut Sauce Drizzle

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Combine dressing ingredients in your food processor.

To finish the salad

1 package rice noodles, cooked and chilled

1 bunch watercress, cleaned

1 head butter lettuce, chopped

9 snap peas or snow peas sliced in half

7 radishes, sliced thin

crushed almonds

sliced mint leaves

sliced basil leaves

sliced cilantro leaves

After the chicken is cooked, allow the chicken to cool. Take the chicken off the bone and slice/ Layer the greens and the chicken in a serving bowl. Add the peas, radishes and garnish with the herbs and chopped nuts. Drizzle the fresh dressing on top and your Kerala dinner is served on the balcony!