Chicken Curry
Notes
This is an adaptation of the recipe for Chicken Lahori from the very excellent "Indian Home Cooking" by Suvir Savan and Stephanie Lyness. My copy is currently inaccessible in NYC so this is from memory.
In addition to adding the optional spinach at the end you could also add 3-4 medium-sized potatoes cut into quarters. Put them in the spice mix with the chicken at step one.
Do consider your heat tolerance. Ginger, garlic, and spices do add warmth before the cayenne and chilies. One option is to leave the green chile uncut and take it out before blending. This way you don't get the heat stored in the seeds. With the dried red chilies you could take them out before blending or just add one for the taste and leave or remove.
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers this is even better the second day.
You can make simple raita with chopped and drained cucumber stirred into whisked yogurt with a pinch of sea salt.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 8 or so pieces of chicken (I prefer thighs but could be a mix)
- Turmeric 3/4 teaspoon
- Cayenne1/2 teaspoon (think heat tolerance)
- Salt 1 teaspoon
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves ditto
- 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly cut
- 3 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
- One cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 9 whole cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 10-15 ripped curry leaves (if available)
- 1-3 whole dried red chiles (think heat tolerance. Leave out if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 fresh hot green chile, cut in half (Think heat tolerance. Leave out if necessary.)
- 2 or 3 large tomatoes, chopped. Or, say. 16 ounces of canned.
- 1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Handful/cup of unsweetened dried coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup or more of plain Greek yogurt, whisked smooth
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Combine the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl and stir to coat. Put aside.
- In a largish Dutch oven type pot, add two of the tablespoons of canola oil, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, fenugreek seeds, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, coriander seeds cloves, red peppers, green chile, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Medium heat until mustard seeds begin to pop. Immediately add curry leaves if you have them (careful - they will splutter) and right after, add the onion. Saute for a few and then add garlic and ginger until onions are soft and cinnamon unfurled. 3-5 minutes or so.
- Add the tomato paste and let it caramelize but not burn. 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and coconut flakes and the rest of the turmeric. and cayenne. (Consider your heat tolerance.) Stir it about. Cook gently for a few. Then turn off the heat.
- When cool enough REMOVE the cinnamon, green chile and bay leaves and transfer the mixture to a blender. Add some water (how much depends on whether the tomatoes came with a lot of juice or not) and give it a whizz long enough to grind the seeds.
- In the same pot add the last tablespoon of canola and saute the chicken until browned on both sides.
- Stir in the yogurt a spoonful at a time and cook down a little. (Couple of minutes)
- Add the mix from the blender and bring to a boil. (There should be enough to almost cover the chicken. ) Simmer gently and partly covered until chicken is cooked and sauce is boiled down a bit. This could be 25-30 minutes. Give it a scrape or two along the way to make sure it is not sticking. You want sauce but not soup.
- Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice.
- Serve with rice or naan or whatever plus raita and some pickle and chutney.
- Option: Add spinach toward the end. (Fresh or frozen - both work well Obviously adjust for defreezing frozen
- Add salt to taste.
Curry is so forgiving!
Sounds delicious, will try it. Thanks for the recipe❤️.
Thanks for this recipe. Sounds excellent. Lots of different spices though, Would it work with a curry powder mix?
It would still be good. But not as good.