Announcing Pandy's Non-Authentic but Awesome Chicken Curry

[cosmicpanda]

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you're a fan of chicken curry, this is how to do it in your kitchen at home. I'm assuming you don't have any truly awesome cookware like a tandoor oven (SG would like those, they're basically like trolloc cookpots but with fire in the bottom), so all of this can be done with typical western pots and pans and stuff.

 

 

So, for the chicken.

 

From when I worked as a kitchen hand in an Indian restaurant, it would seem that the (best) authentic way of cooking chicken is to chop it up, marinate it in a mixture of yoghurt, paparika and chilli powder, skewer it, and roast it. This produces yummy, tender chicken. There's other ways, but that was my favourite.

 

In a western kitchen, ignore all that. It won't be the same. Instead, after marinating your chicken, dip it in flour and then fry it gently. If you're cunning, do this after step one, below; otherwise, cook it separately.

 

 

Now, for the goopy stuff.

 

If you're a fan of butter chicken, what you're eating is a mildly spiced mixture of about 8 parts cream to 1 part butter and 1 part tomato puree. It can taste nice, but it's not exactly healthy. Instead, do this:

 

1. Heat up some oil in a pan. Chuck in some cumin seeds and some chopped onion. Cook until clear or caramelising (your preference).

 

2. If you're hardcore, chop fresh tomatoes and add them. Otherwise, tip in two cans of tinned tomatoes. Add any spices you feel like, and a bit of brown sugar. Tip in a bottle of cream if you like cream, otherwise wait until step four and put in yoghurt instead. Let it all simmer for a while until it starts to come together.

 

3. If you've cooked your chicken separately, add it now.

 

4. If using yoghurt, lower the heat and very gently stir in your brand of choice. (unsweetened!)

 

5. Just before serving, chop up masses of fresh coriander and chuck it on top.

 

 

Now, for the bread. This is, for me, the best bit of the meal, but if you're pressed for time, just cook up some rice.

 

1. Mix flour, an egg, olive oil, some warm milk and some yeast together to make a supple dough. Don't get too fussy about the proportions, but look up naan bread recipes on the net if you are. Let it rise in a warm place. By the way, do this several hours before doing the other stuff.

 

2. Heat up your oven to 250 C (480 F, or so).

 

3. Roll your risen dough out flat. Like, not transparent thin, but still really thin.

 

4. Put your rolled out bread onto a wire rack, and put it in the oven. It should puff up and be done within a few minutes - keep an eye on it. Serve with butter.

[Myndrunner]

NOM NOM NOM!!!!!!!

[Naked~Frog]

Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

[dapianoplay3r]

I shall keep the Naan bread recipe and try it sometime soon (I tried to make some once but i failed lol)

The curry sounds awesome too

[MashiraSedai]

*SQUEES!*

 

I <3 butter chicken. It's my favorite, though I only eat it 1-2 times a year because it truly is horrible for you.

I grew up with chicken curry and it's pretty much the first thing I learned how to cook (mom is Burmese/Indian mix, dad was Pakistani)

 

Chicken Curry

 

1lb chicken, chopped

3 cups yogurt, plain

2 tbs olive oil

4 tbs dhania-jeera (that is cumin & coriander seeds all mashed up/powdered)

2 tsp garam masala (that is peppercorn, clove, nutmeg, cardamom and star anise made into a powder)

4 tbs ginger/garlic paste (grind together 4 cloves garlic and 1 ginger bunch)

1/2 tsp chaat (mango, cumin, black salt, chili powder)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cayenne powder (or however much you like)

2 chopped tomatoes (or one small can Hunts tomato paste)

 

Place defrosted chicken in 1 1/2 cup yogurt.

Add cayenne powder, and chaat to this mixture.

If you are using tomato paste, add it to this mixture, if not keep reading.

Let sit (in fridge) for 1 hour

 

In a large cookpot (deep fry pan will do just fine) on high setting, heat olive oil

add ginger/garlic paste

add garam masala

add dhania/jeera

add turmeric powder

(let lightly fry for 2-3 mins ... ish ... I go by the smell lol)

 

decrease to med heat

 

add 1/2 cup water and 1 1/2 cup yogurt (or cream/milk)

let simmer for 10 mins on medium heat

add 2 chopped tomatoes if you did not use tomato paste

 

Now add yogurt/chicken mixture to the pot/pan. Cover and let cook on low/medium heat for 30-45 mins/until chicken is cooked.

 

 

God... now I'm hungry...

ETA: Because High/Med/Low always bothers me here is what I mean on a stove that goes up to 10

Low 1-4

Med 5-7

High 8-10

[Tynaal Consen]

I have never made curry in my life, rarely eat it cause burny stuff kills me >.> But I do love it, despite it all. Went to a friends house for Diwali last year and had divine lamb-curry (think it was lamb)

 

So I shall have to try out both your recipes some time!