Bridget Makes: Chicken Curry

Blake and I both love Indian food (coconut naan and lamb tikka masala- yum!); unfortunately, New Orleans is severely lacking in good Indian restaurants. I can only think of two, both of which are really out of the way for us. We usually only get to enjoy good Indian when we travel, so we try to make it at home every once in a while. I like this recipe because the house doesn’t get as pungent with the smell of curry and it’s not overpowering with spice. It’s also relatively easy as there’s not a ton of actual work involved.

Adapted from a recipe in The Naked Chef Takes Off.

Ingredients:

• 1 T Garam Masala
• 2 T butter
• 2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 lbs skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• salt and black pepper
• lime juice to taste
• 2 inches peeled fresh ginger
• 2 small red onions, peeled
• 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 fresh red chillies, with seeds
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Chop the ginger, red onions, garlic, chillies and cilantro roughly then add to food processor along with Garam Masala. Puree in food processor to make a paste.
• In a large casserole, fry the curry paste mixture in the butter for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to boil, cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and continue to simmer on the stove until it thickens.
• Sear the chicken in a little olive oil until golden, then add to the curry sauce and simmer for 1 hour until tender.
• Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and stir in the yogurt. Season to taste and add squeeze of lime juice. Serve with steamed basmati rice.