Chicken Curry
Created | Updated Feb 27, 2003
Although perhaps not a curry in the technical sense, it has all the flavour of one without the need for a lot of spice. This is something created by chance one evening, and has proven a firm favourite with one researcher's girlfriend ever since.
Ingredients (Serves two)
• 2 x medium chicken breasts, fat removed and cut into 1" cubes
• 1 x medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 x large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 x green chili, finely chopped (add more or less according to taste)
• 1" piece root ginger, finely chopped
• Half a tin of chopped tomatoes
• Fresh coriander
• Plain yoghurt
• Single cream
• Oil for cooking (olive or otherwise)
• Salt, pepper and sugar
Use your noggin
Before preparing this or any other food, always ensure that knives, utensils and any other cookware, as well as the cooking surfaces themselves, are clean and germ-free.
Similarly the knife, and any work surface, used to prepare the chicken should be thoroughly wiped before using again. Raw chicken and fresh vegetables should be kept apart (except of course in the pan).
Method
• Heat the oil in a large wok or high-sided frying pan. Over a low heat, fry the chili, garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes, moving them around the pan frequently to keep from sticking. Add the onion and continue to cook for a further five minutes until the onion becomes translucent
• Add the chicken pieces, and seasoning, and give it all a good stir. You may need to turn the heat up at this point: you want it to sizzle but not burn, so it's trial and error the first time. Those seasoned chefs out there will probably instinctively know anyway. Give it another five minutes until the chicken has whitened, then chuck in the tomatoes and add a pinch of sugar. There is still some debate in the industry as to whether sugar really adds anything, but put some in anyway.
• Chop a good handful of coriander and add to the mix, then adjust the heat to get the whole thing to a simmer, and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally.
• Okay now add a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt and a nice pour of cream (adjust according to diet) and stir in. You may have noticed that the mixture has gone pink - DON'T PANIC - it will cook through and go orange very soon. Add some more seasoning and more coriander if desired and let it have another 5 or 10 minutes to bubble away and become a nicer colour. Check to see if the chicken is cooked. If it is, you're ready to go!
Serve with mixed wild and basmati rice, and some nice fresh rocket leaves. Garnish with fresh coriander and tuck in.
Danger!
If you're not old/adept enough to use the cooker, then please don't. Good food is really not worth the injury. Most of the time.
Further reading
If you like curry and other spicy food, and let's face it, who doesn't, then check out these other edited entries. I haven't tried them yet, but they sound good: -
Simple beef currySubtle prawn curry
