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.