Turmeric Chicken Curry

Fresh turmeric is pleasantly mild and does not have a sharp bite. On the other hand, it has a very loud color – deeply orange inside an orange-tinged beige-brown skin. When added to foods, its carrot orange actually imparts a bright yellow color. The pretty color and delicate flavor of fresh turmeric is well-loved in the southern region of Thailand, where it is extensively used in curries, soups, stir-fried dishes, fried foods, snacks and desserts.
Turmeric is much smaller than ginger, the fleshy root composed of a fat cylindrical rhizome tapered on both ends, from whose sides branch two opposite rows of short, slender fingerlike appendages from one to three inches in length. Growing both straight or curved, smooth or knobby and gnarly, the "fingers" break easily from the parent root and are more often found in markets as unattached members.
It has a delicate flavor that is simply exquisite – fuller, subtly more complex and much more pleasant than the dried or powdered varieties, which can have an unagreeable medicinal smell and taste. Only one small thing which you should be careful when using fresh turmeric,the yellow coloring might still be there in almost every utensils you use.So its advisable to use a mortal and pestle to make turmeric into a paste. Beside that, the turmeric leaves are also widely used.It is chiffonade and add as extra flavoring in laksa curry or vegetables curry.
The fresh rhizomes store well if kept dry in the refrigerator – wipe dry if they are damp, then wrap with a paper towel before placing in a ziplock plastic bag.
In this turmeric chicken curry I have used fresh turmeric.You can smell the strong aroma of turmeric in this curry .It goes very well with rice.

Ingredients


1 Chicken (cut into 16 pcs)
2 Potatoes (cut into cubes)
3 Tomatoes (chopped)
4 stalks Lemon Grass (bruised)
1 stalk Curry Leave
1 large Onion (chopped)
4 cups Coconut Milk (semi thickness)
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Cloves
3 Cardamoms
1 Star Anise


To Grind In A Paste

4 large Bombay Onions
4 cloves Garlic
3 cm Ginger
2 cm fresh Turmeric/kunyit basah
7 fresh Red Chillies or more
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (optional)
3 tbsp Chicken Curry Powder

Method:


1. Saute cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms and star anise.
2. Add in chopped onions and stir fry.
3. Once fragrant add in the pounded ingredients and stir fry again.
4. Add in the tomatoes and fry further for 1 minute.
5. Mix in chicken, potatoes, lemon grass and 2 cups of water.
6. Season with salt.
7. Leave the curry to simmer gently.
8. After 20 minutes add in the coconut milk and simmer further.
9. Add in the curry leaves finally and dish out.
Note:Do not use turmeric powder then the taste varies