Thai Chicken in Peanut Basil Sauce

Ingredients

2 pounds ground chicken
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon sriracha pepper paste + more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 lime
1 teaspoon Imperial Sugar Light Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
3 Japanese eggplant
2 banana peppers
4 tablespoons fresh Thai basil
1 tablespoon fresh mint
3 cups rice (Basmati long grain)
5 cups water

Directions

Toast 1 cup of rice in a dry, clean pan for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Be careful not to burn rice.
Turn off heat and allow rice to cool. For a more crunchy consistency, grind rice in a food processor. For a finer consistency, use a coffee grinder (one that's reserved for spices, not coffee beans) to grind rice.
In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, curry powder, and sriracha. Continue mixing while carefully streaming soy sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar. Add chicken and smoosh together to marinate meat well. This can be done the night before.
Chop a medium onion and sautée in a bit of oil until translucent, golden in colour and fragrant, about 10 minutes. While onions are browning, steam rest of the rice. I prefer fluffy long-grain Basmati, but any kind you like will do. Rinse rice several times in a pot until water is no longer cloudy. Add 3 cups water, a pinch of salt, cover with lid and cook on medium heat until water has been absorbed and rice is steaming.
Mince garlic and ginger, then add to browned onions. Add chicken and break up with a wooden fork, making sure to incorporate well. It won't take long for chicken to cook. Add ground, toasted rice and gently mix to incorporate.
Wash and slice Japanese eggplants on the bias. De-seed and chop banana peppers. Add both to pan and gently heat. Shortly before serving, chop and add the fresh mint.
Pile about 10-15 basil leaves on top of each other and roll as if making a cigarette (like in the old movies). Using a very sharp knife, finely slice across roll, creating ribbons of basil. This technique is called chiffonade and minimizes the bruising that usually happens with slicing/chopping basil.
Fluff up rice gently with a fork. Serve chicken over fluffy rice, top with a dab of sriracha and a sprinkling of fresh basil.
Go Paleo! Instead of rice, serve the chicken over crisp lettuce leaves.