Riz Casimir — the Swiss Classic with Fruit
Chicken strips are fried and served in a mild curry cream sauce with pineapple, banana and peach, alongside rice. The dish was invented in 1952 at Mövenpick in Zurich and remains one of Switzerland's best-loved family meals.
Riz Casimir divides opinion: some find fruit with chicken odd, for others it is the favourite meal of their childhood. It was invented in 1952 at Mövenpick in Zurich and still appears on countless Swiss family tables. Children like it almost without exception — the sauce is mild, slightly sweet and not spicy at all.
Ingredients
- 600 g Chicken breast (cut into strips)
- 300 g Rice
- 1 piece Onion
- 2 tsp Curry powder (mild)
- 2 dl Double cream
- 2 dl Vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 1 tbsp Clarified butter
- 1 tsp Salt
Fruit
- 200 g Pineapple (tinned, drained)
- 2 pieces Bananas
- 200 g Peaches (tinned, drained)
- 2 tbsp Flaked almonds (optional)
Method
- 1
Cook the rice
Cook the rice according to the packet. It takes about as long as the chicken and sauce.
- 2
Fry the chicken
Heat the clarified butter until very hot. Fry the chicken strips in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, season with salt and remove.
- 3
Start the curry
Finely chop the onion and soften it in the same pan. Add the curry powder and flour and fry for 1 minute — this takes the raw edge off the curry.
- 4
Reduce the sauce
Deglaze with the stock, add the cream and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- 5
Add the fruit
Add the pineapple and peaches in pieces and warm through for 2 minutes. Slice the bananas in only at the very end, or they fall apart.
- 6
Serve
Return the chicken to the sauce and let it warm through only. Serve with the rice and scatter over the toasted flaked almonds.
Tips
- Fry the curry powder briefly in the fat before any liquid goes in. That is the difference between a rounded sauce and a dusty curry taste.
- Bananas break down quickly. They go in last and are only folded through, never cooked.
- Do not throw away the juice from the pineapple tin — a splash in the sauce gives exactly the fruity note that defines the dish.
What can I substitute?
Both work the same way. The original at Mövenpick was first served with veal.
For the vegetarian version. Pat the tofu very dry first and brown it hard.
Suits the curry and makes the dish lactose-free. The sauce turns out a little thinner.
Both bring the same sweetness. Fresh mango works especially well when ripe.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Riz Casimir come from?
The dish was created in 1952 at Mövenpick in Zurich as an exotic-sounding speciality, at a time when tropical fruit was still special in Switzerland. Despite the Indian-sounding name, it is an entirely Swiss invention.
Is Riz Casimir spicy?
No. It is made with mild curry powder and further rounded off by cream and fruit. That is exactly why children like it so much. For more heat, put chilli flakes on the table separately.
Can I use fresh fruit instead of tinned?
Yes. Fresh pineapple and peaches work well but need 2 to 3 minutes longer in the sauce because they are firmer. Make sure they are ripe — unripe fruit makes the dish sour rather than sweet.
Which rice suits Riz Casimir?
Long-grain or basmati is classic, because it stays separate and soaks up the sauce well. Short-grain rice turns too sticky. Traditionally the rice is turned out from a mould with the sauce arranged beside it.
Can I reheat Riz Casimir?
The sauce with the chicken yes, it keeps two days in the fridge. The bananas do go brown and soft, though — better to add fresh ones when reheating.
