THE FIRST CHICKEN CURRY!

THE FIRST CHICKEN CURRY!

                                                        THE FIRST CHICKEN CURRY!

I was 25, newly married and needed to learn to cook, and this was the first chicken curry my exquisite, vegetarian mother taught me.  She had picked it up from one of her cooks years before.  Curries can be soupy or thick with the masala clinging to the meats and vegetables.  Our First Chicken Curry can be in either style.  It is the chicken dish I make most often and the one you, my darling children, grew up with.   This recipe can be doubled with ease.

  

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless chicken breast halves

3 Tbsp coconut butter or another vegetable oil

3 medium onions, very finely chopped,  about 3 cups

1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 medium tomatoes, very finely chopped,  about 1 1/2 cups

3 green cardamom pods

3 cloves

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder 

1/2 tsp red cayenne powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Chopped green cilantro leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS

 Cut up the chicken into small pieces, toss with turmeric and salt and set aside to marinate.

Heat coconut butter or vegetable oil over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed pan.

Stir in the fennel seeds, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and saute for 30 seconds.

Add the onions to the pan and saute, stirring frequently, till the onions are golden but not burnt. This could take about 10 minutes.

Now add the ginger garlic paste, stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Add all the spice powders, mix well.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes till the oil begins to separate and glistens on the edges of the masala.  The masala will be fairly thick now.

Add the chicken pieces to the masala paste, raise the heat and sear the pieces for about 2 minutes on each side till the color changes to whitish. 

Add 1/2 cup water and stir.

Now lower the heat to medium, cover and cook the chicken till done, another 15-20 minutes.

Add garam masala and lemon juice, mix well and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

It is amazing with rice or chapatis or naan.  :)

Enjoy!