Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander3 g
• 1 tsp ground cumin2 g
• 1/2 tsp turmeric1 g
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, (crushed in a small bag with a meat mallet)1 g
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1 g
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper1 g
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard1 g
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil27 g
• 1 small yellow onion, (chopped (1 cup))150 g
• 4 garlic cloves, (minced (1 1/2 Tbsp))12 g
• 1 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger6 g
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth240 g
• 3/4 cup drained canned diced tomatoes or peeled, seeded, diced fresh tomatoes182 g
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper, (to taste)
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, (diced into 1 1/4-inch cubes)680 g
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water (optional)3 g
• 1/3 cup heavy cream79 g
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro12 g

Method

1. In a small mixing bowl whisk together all of the spices in the spice blend, set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add in onion and saute until slightly golden brown, about 4 - 6 minutes.
4. Add in garlic and ginger, saute 30 seconds more then add in spice blend and saute 30 seconds.
5. Pour in chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
6. Pour mixture into a blender then cover with lid and remove lid insert, cover opening with a clean folded kitchen rag.
7. Blend mixture until well pureed and smooth then return to skillet and heat skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Season sauce with salt and cayenne pepper (start with about 1/2 tsp salt and a few dashes cayenne then add more to taste) then add in chicken.
9. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet with lid and simmer until chicken has cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 8 - 12 minutes.
10. During the last minute of cooking stir in the cornstarch and water slurry if desired, to thicken sauce slightly (or if needed thin with a little chicken broth).
11. Stir in cream then serve warm with cilantro over basmati rice.

Watch out for: Tasting for heat before the fat is fully in. The dish gets milder as the coconut milk goes in, so a sauce judged perfect early lands flat at the table.

Ingredients

• ½ kg (1.1 lbs.) chicken (preferably bone-in, boneless is okay)499 g
• 2 to 3 tablespoons oil34 g
• 1 cup (3 medium) onions (fine chopped)160 g
• 1 to 2 green chilies (slit, omit for less spicy, Thai or Indian chili peppers or serrano peppers)22 g
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ¾ inch ginger, 3 cloves garlic minced)8 g
• ½ cup (2 medium) tomatoes (pureed or finely chopped)121 g
• ¼ cup yogurt (or 1½ tbsp cashew butter or 12 cashews powdered & pureed with ¼ cup water, refer notes)61 g
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust as needed)4 g
• ½ to 1 cup hot water (or light coconut milk)177 g
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (or mint leaves finely chopped)12 g
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder0 g
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or smoked paprika (½ tsp for less spicy))3 g
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (½ tsp more if needed, adjust to taste)2 g
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder2 g
• 1 bay leaf (or 1 sprig curry leaves)1 g
• 4 cloves
• 2 inch cinnamon piece
• 3 green cardamom3 g

Method

1. On a medium flame, heat oil in a deep pan. Add the whole spices - bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves & green cardamoms.
2. Stir in the chopped onions and chilies. Saute until deep golden in color, for 7 to 8 mins.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till you get a nice aroma, for about a minute.
4. Then add tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes turn soft & mushy.
5. Turn down the heat to low, Stir in the yogurt (or cashew paste), red chili powder, garam masala & coriander powder.
6. Cook on low heat, until the mixture smells good and aromatic.
7. Add chicken and coriander leaves. Fry on a medium heat till the chicken turns white or pale in color. This takes around 3 mins.
8. Cover and cook on a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. This step is very important as the chicken absorbs all the flavors of the spices.
9. Meanwhile in a separate pot, heat up 1 cup water. Using cold water most times toughens the chicken so it is good to use hot water.
10. Pour hot water just enough (about ½ cup) to make a thick gravy. As you cook, chicken lets out plenty of moisture, depending on that add more water. Check the pictures in the post for consistency.
11. Cover and cook on a medium flame till the chicken is soft cooked and the curry/gravy turns thick. When the chicken is cooked completely it will fall off the bone easily.
12. Taste the curry & add more salt if needed. You can also add another ½ tsp garam masala at this stage if you feel it is less in flavors.
13. Lastly garnish with coriander leaves, cover and off the heat. Serve chicken curry with butter naan or jeera rice.

Watch out for: Yogurt. It is acidic and will curdle if it goes in over heat — temper it or add it off the heat.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil27 g
• 2 pounds chicken breasts (skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces)907 g
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)3 g
• ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)1 g
• 1 small onion (chopped)150 g
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)9 g
• 2 tablespoon curry powder12 g
• 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)240 g
• 14 ounce coconut milk (1 can)397 g
• 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes (1 can)411 g
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste33 g
• 2 tablespoon sugar25 g
• 2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)12 g

Method

1. Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
2. Finish the dish: Add the onion, garlic, curry powder and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes then add the chicken broth, coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Stir everything together, bring to a boil then cover with a lid. Turn the heat down and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Garnish and serve: Garnish with parsley and serve over rice.

Watch out for: Salt. Paste carries a lot of it, so reaching for heat by the jarful oversalts the dish before it gets hot.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons salted butter28 g
• 2 pounds mixed chicken breasts and thighs907 g
• 1 yellow onion, chopped150 g
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped8 g
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger4 g
• 2 teaspoons cumin4 g
• 2 teaspoons turmeric4 g
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper2 g
• 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk397 g
• 1 can (14 ounce) crushed tomatoes397 g
• cinnamon stick or star anise (optional)
• salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro50 g
• rice and naan for serving

Method

1. 1. In a large Dutch oven, add the butter, the chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and season with salt. Cook until the chicken is seared and the spices are fragrant, 5-8 minutes.2. Pour over the coconut milk and tomatoes. If using, add the cinnamon and/or star anise. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. At this point, you can cook the curry on low, up to all day. Add water if the sauce is too thick. Stir in half of the cilantro.3. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Top with extra cilantro. Enjoy!

Watch out for: Treating thin sauce as a failure. It is the lid, it is predictable, and it is the price of the convenience.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil14 g
• 2 tablespoons Panang curry paste (*)31 g
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter16 g
• 2 pounds chicken breasts (cut into pieces against the grain)907 g
• 1 small onion (sliced)150 g
• 1 green bell pepper (thinly sliced)120 g
• 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)120 g
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger4 g
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)12 g
• 2 14 oz cans coconut milk (Chaokoh brand is my favorite)397 g
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch5 g
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)53 g
• 1 tablespoons fish sauce17 g
• 1 tablespoon lime juice15 g
• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves (roughly chopped)100 g
• Hot cooked rice (white, brown or jasmine)

Method

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in large non-stick skillet. Saute onions for 2 minutes, then add bell peppers, garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes more.
2. Add curry paste and peanut butter and saute for 1 minute. Add 1 ½ cans of coconut milk. Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/2 can coconut milk then add to the pan. Stir well.
3. Add chicken, stirring to coat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or just until chicken is no longer pink and sauce begins to thicken.
4. Stir in sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Watch out for: Skipping the sear. Nothing browns under pressure, so the colour and the roasted note have to be built before the lid goes on.