Basic Chicken Curry, with Potato

 


Basic Chicken Curry, with Potato

 

 

I don’t put many curry recipes in my food blog, despite curries being some of the most frequent cooking I do for family and business. My reasons are that the cooking procedures are generally complex, take a lot of time, and many fresh and dry seasonings are used that may not be in most non-Indian home kitchens. Typical curries that I make at the restaurant use 8 or more dry spices, plus fresh ginger, garlic and onion.

 

I mostly cook North Indian non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. That’s based on what I learned to love while living in Malaysia (including from cooking classes taught by a Sikh lady) plus working on a number of occasions in India and Pakistan, and eating extensively at Indian restaurants in the US and Asia..

 

But cooking with several college and medical student friends in Athens a while back who liked to cook as a hobby, I worked out a few recipes that minimized the steps and spices necessary yet still produce tasty and credible curries. Here’s one I found in my old file recently which makes an intensely flavored Punjabi-style chicken and potato curry. 

 

The recipe will serve six or more, accompanied by unsalted Basmati rice, a chutney or two, plus yogurt. (Recipes for a fresh tomato chutney and rice cooking methods can be found elsewhere in this blog.)

 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh

2 teaspoons salt for chicken

1 teaspoon turmeric for chicken

1 very large onion

1/4 cup sunflower or canola oil

3/4 inch fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons turmeric for spice mix

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt, for spice mix

2 medium potatoes

1 cup water

1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

Chopped cilantro leaf for garnish.

 

Trim tough parts and excess fat (a little fat can remain) off the chicken thighs, then cut them cross-wise into 1-inch wide pieces. Mix well with the salt and turmeric. Set aside to marinate while doing the next steps.

 

Finely dice the onion. In a cooking pot over low heat, gently fry it in the oil, keeping the pot covered but stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot every 3-4 minutes, until golden.

 

While onions are frying, scrape the skin off the ginger piece and slice ginger very thinly. Add the garlic, peeled, and mince them together very finely on a cutting board, or pound them together till smooth in a mortar and pestle. Set this paste aside until needed.

 

Measure the dry spices plus the salt for the spice mix into a cup or bowl and set aside. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks and place them in a bowl of water to prevent browning.

 

As the onions become well softened, and begin to take on a pale yellowish tint (this may take 30 minutes or more with the low heat recommended), stir in the ginger-garlic mixture and continue to fry the mixture 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the spice mixture and stir for another minute. Add the cup of water and let the mixture simmer a few minutes.

 

Add the potatoes, drained, raise the heat somewhat and simmer them 5 minutes, covered but stirring frequently.

 

Add marinated chicken and any juices. Stir and cook gently 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add yogurt and simmer five more minutes. Taste sauce and add salt if necessary. If the sauce is becoming dry, add a little water. Cut off a piece of potato and a piece of chicken and bite into each to test for doneness. Cook a little longer if either potatoes or chicken need it.

 

Serve now, or cool, refrigerate and reheat, stirring several times, either in a covered casserole in the microwave or in a pot on the stove top.

 

To serve, sprinkle with coarsely chopped cilantro. Accompany with unsalted rice, preferably Basmati, some yogurt and a chutney.

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