Simple Chicken Curry

This is the Simple Curry I talked about here. The same recipe can be adapted to make various curries. Its like the fried rice of curries. Depending on what vegetable / meat you use in it, it becomes that curry. I have made Chicken Curry, Egg Curry, bell pepper curry, cauliflower and paneer curry, Shrimp curry... the list goes on...

If there is going to be only one Indian recipe that you wish to learn, let it be this as you can cook several meals with this one dish.

Chicken Curry with Rice

Ingredients:

• Chicken, cut into 1 1/2 " cubes - 1 1/2 cup
• onion, chopped fine - 1/2
• onion - 1/2 big
• tomato, chopped fine - 1/2
• tomato - 1
• salt, as per taste

For sauteing:

• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon stick - 1" piece
• Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
• mint leaves - 2-3 sprigs
• coriander leaves, chopped fine - 5 sprigs
• oil for sauteing - about 1-2 tbsp
• turmeric powder - just a pinch

For curry paste:

• dry red chili - 1
• coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• ginger,  peeled - 1/2 " piece
• garlic, peeled - 5 cloves
• coconut, shredded or cashews - 1/4 cup
• whole black pepper - 1 tsp
• fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• black cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat, dry roast all the ingredients in the "for curry paste" list. This should take about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender jar.
3. Chop half an onion and one tomato into one-eighths and add to the jar.
4. Blend/ grind this until smooth.
5. In the same pan, on medium high heat, heat oil for sauteing. When ready, add all the other ingredients listed under "for sauteing".
6. When the spices start giving out a nice aroma, add the chopped onion. Stir once and let it soften, about 5 minutes.
7. Now add the chopped tomato with a little salt, to help the tomatoes soften.
8. When the tomatoes are cooked, but still maintain their shape, add the curry paste to it.
9. Stir often and let everything simmer for about 15 minutes. This step is important as raw curry paste is not very appetizing!
10. Taste and add salt as required. Add the chicken and turmeric powder.
11. Give it a stir and cook covered for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through.
12. Add enough water to the curry to bring it to desired consistency. You might have to adjust salt after this step.
13. Let it simmer once, to help bring all flavors together.
14. Remove from fire and garnish with cilantro before serving.

Chicken Curry

Serve it on white rice, brown rice, with rotis or even idlis. There... now you have several menus, all using the same curry!

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