Monday, January 30, 2012

Chicken Curry

Do you have certain friends you call when you have a yen for a particular kind of food?  Two of my friends love Indian food and are always up for it.  Others not so much.  So when one of them was here for a visit, I eagerly pulled out the curry and tried a new recipe.  I have to admit that I switched it up quite a bit.  I used Pensey's Sweet Curry, so while it had a touch of heat, it wasn't as hot as the original recipe which called for chili peppers. It makes a big pot full, so I'd be inclined to double the peas the next time I make it.  This recipe can also be prepared a day ahead of time which is always handy.

We liked it well enough to eat it twice, once over Forbidden Rice and once over cooked potatoes.  We thought it delicious both ways.  You'll see in the photos that we ate pineapple and broccoli with it.  I thought the pineapple added a nice fresh note to the curry.

Forbidden Rice is one of my new favorites.  How could anyone resist a food that's forbidden?  It has to be special!  Forbidden Rice is an intense dark purple that looks black.  Apparently, it was once reserved for Chinese Emperors.  Also called longevity rice, it's loaded with antioxidants.  So far it has been popular with everyone -- even my picky eaters!  It doesn't taste very different from white rice and is prepared the same way.  I buy it at my health food store.


Chicken Curry

1 chicken, cut up, bone in (I removed the skin)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons curry
1 teapoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 onions, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper the chicken. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and brown half the chicken pieces.  Save the browned chicken on a platter and brown the other half of the chicken pieces.  Remove when browned.

Add or pour off oil (whichever is necessary) so you have about two tablespoons left in the pan.  (Eyeball it!)  Add curry, garam masala, and ginger and cook over medium until fragrant, then immediately add the onions.  When they begin to soften, add the garlic, water, tomatoes, and a dash of salt.

(Note: you'll get some crusty bits off the bottom, that's okay!)

Return the chicken to the pot, cover and simmer one hour, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and defat the liquid in a fat separator.  (Or if you want to cook ahead, you could refrigerate everything at this point and remove the fat from the liquid by scooping it off the top on the following day.)

Add the yogurt, frozen peas, and butter and cook about two minutes.  Spoon over chicken to serve.








8 comments:

  1. I love Indian food. Many, many years ago I dated an Indian guy who worked in an Indian restaurant...loved those food perks with him! I'll have to try this recipe...although I'll skip the peas. I adore rice so I must find the Forbidden kind!

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    1. Katreader, maybe the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach? I bet those were delicious food perks!

      ~ Krista

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  2. Can I come to your house? I adore curry!!!! This looks so yummy.

    ~Avery

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  3. Indian food is a favorite at Chez Coyle, and Forbidden Rice, too. Very, very healthy (discovered on one of our Chinatown jaunts). Nice curry recipe. Thanks for sharing and have a delicious week! ~ Cleo

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  4. I have been on an Indian kick for a couple of years and we all love it. In fact I made Chicken Korma one too many times so that the minions asked me to hold off on it for a few weeks! I'm going to use your recipe...also minus the peas (peas just remind me of elementary school and avocado green canned peas..ugh!!) I'll add some cauliflower instead...I love how it gets all golden colored! I'll also add golden raisins...just because they are pretty!

    Now to try and find some Forbidden rice here in the sticks!

    Thanks Krista!

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  5. Cleo, I hope you'll share some of your favorite Indian dishes. I'd love to try more.

    ~ Krista

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  6. LOL, Nanc! I had a boyfriend who felt that way about peas. When I cooked frozen peas, he insisted they weren't peas at all. He had grown up on canned peas and the two are just worlds apart!

    ~ Krista

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