Chicken Curry

There are many variation in preparing chicken curry. The taste of your curry depends on the type of chicken curry powder that you use.So one advice I can give you is trying out the curry powder in the market, and choose one that suit you and your family. If you feel the smell of coriander powder is stronger in your curry powder ,then add in additional spices to your curry.For example , cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, bay leaves and nutmeg.Different curry powders have different proportion of spices added into them.The curries that I prepare at home are always thick.Some household like their curries to be slightly watery.I leave it to your own discretion. I like to add both fennel and cumin seeds in the sauté and in the paste.If you feel its too spicy , you can omit one part of it. There is one small addition that I have done which is adding of lemon grass.The smell really enhance the chicken curry.Before serving you can discard the lemon grass and cinnamon. But frankly the longer it stays marinated in your curry , it enhances the curry further.



Ingredients

1 chicken ( cut into 12 to 16 pieces)
2 large potatoes (cut into semi small pieces)
21/2 cups coconut milk (semi thick )
2 cups water
4 tbsp chicken curry powder
11/2 tbsp chilli powder
1 large Bombay onions(chopped)
2 lemon grass (crushed)
2 sprig curry leaves
Salt to taste

To sauté
4 cloves
3 cardamoms
1 in cinnamon stick
1 small anise
½ tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds


To make into a paste(grind)
3 shallots
2 bombay onions
1 in ginger
4 nips garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel

Method

Combine the grind paste with the curry powder and chilli powder.Leave aside.
Heat about 4 to 5 tbsp of oil. Advisable to use a non stick pan to prepare this curry.Add in cloves,cardamoms,cinnamon and anise.After a few seconds add in chopped Bombay onions,fennel and cumin seeds.Saute until the onions soften or transculent.Add in the grinded ingredients.Stir until its well corporated with oil.Add in more oil if needed(If you are using non stick pan then there is no need of adding oil).Sometimes the oil dries off faster due to the curry powders.Lessen the flame when you are sautéing the paste.Add in lemon grass and 2 cups of water.Stir.Add in salt to taste, potatoes and chicken.Leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.Finally add in coconut milk.Leave to simmer until potatoes are fully cooked.At this stage you can add in ½ tsp garam masala(optional).Close flame once the potatoes have cooked and you got the desired thickness.Add in curry leaves.Goes well with plain rice, briyani, dosa/thosai, spring hoppers, puri, chapatti ,roti jala etc.



Note: You can omit coconut milk if you are health conscience .Add more water and simmer until potatoes becomes tender. You can substitute coconut milk with cream. Only add it at the final stage once the potatoes and chicken are cooked.Stir a few seconds after adding cream and close fire.

Thanks for visiting!


Sending the above recipe for the event 'Side dish for chapathi' hosted by Viki from Viki's Kitchen along with
Cream Lentils,;Chicken Madrasa,Curry Kapitan,Fish Curry,Nyonya Fish Curry,Vegetable Dalca and Amritsari Style Dal.



Again sending the above recipe for the event FIRST COOKED FOOD EVENT 2009 hosted by
Shama of Easy2Cook Recipes


Chicken curry was the first recipe that I tried when I was 14 years old .
Both my parents were working and my classes were afternoon session at that time.The curry was slightly watery for my first trial.LOL. But mom came to the rescue after she came back from work.