Indian Chicken Curry
- 5 large garlic cloves
- 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper stemmed, halved, seeded
- 1 inch long piece fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 can whole tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut in 1 inch cubes
- 3 cups white rice, cooked
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
SPICES
- 1 - 2 inch long cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cardamom pods, cracked
- 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Puree garlic, peppers, ginger and 1 tablespoon of water in a food processor. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until lightly browned. Add pepper-garlic mixture. Cook 2 minutes.
Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns; stir 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons water, bay leaves, coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric; sauté 1 minute.
Add tomatoes (including juice) and salt. Mash the tomatoes with the back of your cooking spoon. Cook until bubbly, stirring constantly. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat in tomato mixture. Add 1 cup water. Cover; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Warning! The whole spices in this recipe (cinnamon,cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves) pose a problem. They make the dish taste great but it can be unpleasant to bite into them. The cinnamon and bay leaves are easy to remove before serving. The rest may be a bit harder to find. Either painstakingly remove all of them before serving or warn everyone to watch out for them and pick them out on their own. I have tried grinding these whole spices along with the others but it just didn't taste the same.
Spoon rice onto plates. Basmati rice is traditional but I prefer a more sticky rice like calrose or jasmine. Top with chicken and sauce. Garnish with cilantro.
This dish can be a bit spicy. If you prefer your food not so hot, try using less of the peppers or cayenne. If you like it hot, leave the seeds in your peppers or even add more.
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