Chicken Curry

I have had a crazy busy week. I cannot even begin to explain how relaxing it is to sit here and work on my blog. Even though I should start by discussing the amazing curry seen above, I'm going to jump right in and announce some good news. We've adopted a dog! Yep! I have now joined the pet ownership club. She is a mutt, and appears to be mostly a black lab/basset hound mix. She's short, with a long body, a lab head, and big paws. Very cute! And her name is Hannah. The BEST part about having Hannah is how much my daughter Mimi loves her. She spends almost every minute of the day outside with her.

Ok, back to the curry. I'm not very familiar with Indian cuisine, so I cannot promise that this is authentic, but I can assure you that it is delicious. If you're not a fan of spicy, then be careful with the cayenne pepper. I made ours pretty hot by adding 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. Although, keep in mind that the rice will take the spice level down a bit, so it should have a little kick to it. The curry was cooked in my tagine, which worked perfectly, but if you don't have one, just use a deep skillet with a lid. And finally, the warm spices are my version of garam marsala, so feel free to adjust to taste (or just use a garam marsala mix - about 1 teaspoon)

Spice mix

Garlic

Onions

The onions, garlic, ginger, spice mix, and a touch of water

Coconut milk

Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, and yogurt to the spices and onions

The chicken and cilantro. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Chicken Curry
Serving Size = 2 - 3

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (any size you want)
• Oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger root (or grated)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes, with juice (15 oz)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1/2 cup coconut milk (or all yogurt, all coconut milk would probably work as well, or heavy whipping cream)
• Water (optional, if it's too thick, add a bit)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water, to thin out the spice mix

Spice Mix (have this ready before you start cooking):

• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (you can push this back to 1/8 teaspoon if you're not a fan of too many warm spices)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 

I served this with 2 cups (2 cups before cooking), plain rice.

Note: I used my tagine to cook this, but feel free to use a deep skillet with a lid.

1. In a tagine (or other pan), add a tablespoon or two of oil (I used EVOO) and brown the pieces of chicken. When they are mostly cooked, and have some color on them, remove to a plate.
2. Add the onion and cook until soften, then add the garlic and ginger. Add the spice mix and a tablespoon or two of water (just enough to help the spices move around a bit). Cook for a few minutes, stirring.
3. Add the tomatoes, yogurt, coconut milk, cilantro, and stir. Add the chicken back and cover with a lid. If it seems too thick, add a bit of water (I never need to).
4. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked and pulls apart easily.
5. Add the lemon juice, stir, and serve over rice.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites, Foodie Friday