Indian curry is completely versatile, and from what I understand recipes vary from household to household with each generation offering their 'secret' into each delicious pot of this warm, spicy stew. I'm a sucker for Indian food and while I won't claim to be an expert on this cuisine I do enjoy eating it as often as possible, which is why I do my best to create weeknight versions with everyone's favorite sides and toppings. Serve this EASY curry over basmati rice and topped with toasted cashews, chopped cilantro and lime wedges, along side a yogurt-cucumber raita. If spice scares you, there are ways to tone it down. Oh and if you're not familiar with a Papadum, you need to read the notes below. They are a MUST...at least in my house they are.
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup Indian curry paste I use Patak’s Madras, Vindaloo or Tikka Masala
- 1 each chopped red and green bell pepper
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth approx.
- 1 cup canned and drained chickpeas
- 1/3 cup dried currents
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- Salt and pepper
- Blending flour about 1-2 tbsp, if necessary
- Chopped fresh cilantro toasted cashews and fresh lime for garnish
- Papadums
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Heat large deep skillet, or Dutch Oven preferably, to med-high. Cut chicken into large chunks.
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Add coconut oil to pan with chicken. Saute until cooked through and starting to brown. Add onion, garlic, ginger and curry paste. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, or until onion is starting to brown and aromatics start to smell fragrant and toasted.
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Add peppers to pan and toss to coat with spice mixture. Add tomatoes (with juices), broth, chickpeas and currents. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
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Stir in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper (will depend on how salty curry paste is). If curry appears too watery add in 1 tbsp blending flour at a time, continuing to stir, until thickened. If it appears too thick or dry add more broth. Curry can sit on low heat for up to 2 hours or until ready to serve.
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Ladle curry over cooked Basmati rice and top with cilantro, cashews and a wedge of lime, for garnish. Serve with cucumber raita, if you like. A simple side dish of steamed greens, such as kale, spinach or chard is a lovely match with this hearty meal.
NOTE: A vegetarian version simply requires a swap out of chicken and adding in 1 each medium sweet potato and Yukon Gold potato, cut into chunks, and an additional cup of chickpeas. Omit step 1 and add potato once spice mixture has been cooked in oil with onions, garlic, etc.
Cucumber Raita: Mix 1 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup finely chopped (or grated and squeezed-to remove some of water) cucumber, 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and 1/2 tsp ground cumin or coriander. Serve alongside curry as a condiment.
Papadums are my kids FAVE. They are a puffed lentil cracker, used for dipping into curry or to crumble over top as an added texture. Find them in the Indian/Asian food aisle at grocery store and follow instructions for how to heat them at home....I microwave them, which is the main reason why I keep a microwave :)