Sunday, 3 February 2019

Turmeric Chicken and Potato Curry.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Whose in the mood for all the hot food?
Did it snow where you are?
Here, we had a fair bit this week. It came down fast and suddenly on Tuesday morning. The day went from grey and wet to white and snowy. Getting back from work took longer than usual with the car tyres skidding on fresh snow and the afternoon traffic slowly crawling along.
Once home, all everyone wanted was hot, spicy food. In our house, that usually means curry and today's recipe is a new-found favourite. It starts off with a chicken marinade. I use chicken pieces on the bone and leave them overnight (if I'm organised) in a light yoghurt spice marinade.

When it's time to cook, onions are gently fried with warming whole spices until bronze. Then, I add in turmeric powder. I was never the biggest turmeric fan until my Aunt gifted us with a jar of powder that she had ground herself. Ever since then, I've loved the stuff and have been adding it more often to curries and the like. If you find it too strong, this recipe will still be great with even half the amount.

The marinated chicken is added to the curry base which is lighter than usual because there are no tomatoes involved. I find this keeps it from not becoming too sweet and allows the rest of the flavours to shine. Potatoes are always added here simply because I cannot resist them in a chicken curry. I love how some of them break down slightly towards the end of cooking and help thicken the sauce. We love this curry with hot boiled rice. Delicious on a freezing Winter's night.
Chicken Curry, previously: malaysian chicken curry // chicken and courgette curry // pakistani chicken curry // chicken madras // simple chicken and potato curry

A Simple List of Ingredients:

For the Chicken Marinade:
1. Whole Chicken Pieces
2. Onion
3. Garlic
4. Green Chillies
5. Salt
6. Turmeric Powder
7. Red Chilli Powder
8. Garam Masala
9. Ginger Paste
10. Yoghurt
11. Mustard Oil
12. Lime

For the Curry:
1. Mustard Oil
2. Dried Red Chillies
3. Bay Leaves
4. Green Cardamoms
5. Cinnamon Stick
6. Black Peppercorns
7. Onions
8. Sugar
9. Turmeric Powder
10. Salt
11. Water
12. Green Chillies
13. Potatoes
14. Fresh Coriander

Bismillah, let's begin!

This curry begins by marinading the chicken. I used 1 Whole Chicken, cut into pieces for curry. The chicken has bones but the skin has been removed.

To the chicken, add:
1 small Red or White Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 Green Chillies, finely chopped

Next, the spices:
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder (less, if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder (more, if you like it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

In goes 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste.

Plus 2 tablespoons Yoghurt. I used Greek because I had some that needed using up but plain will do too.

For the oil, I used mustard but any other will work well too.

Pour in 2 tablespoons Mustard Oil.

And, finish by squeezing in the Juice of 1/2 Lime.

Mix everything up really well to coat the chicken. Place into the fridge to marinate overnight for best results or for a few hours. If in a rush, you can cook straight away.

I used the chicken to make my curry but once marinated, I bet it would be lovely roasted.

Just before you are ready to cook, par-boil the potatoes. I find that this helps them cook faster in the curry. Peel and halve 4 medium Potatoes.

Put into a pan of water and bring to the boil.

Once the water is boiling, set a timer for 3 minutes.

Then, drain and set aside until needed.

Let's start the curry now. Heat 3 tablespoons Mustard Oil in a large pan over medium heat. You can use any other oil too.

Gather together:
2 Dried Red Chillies
2 Bay Leaves
3 Green Cardamoms
1 small Cinnamon Stick
8 Black Peppercorns

Add them to the hot oil and let them gently sizzle for 1 minute.

Next, the onions! I used 6 medium Onions - both red or white work well here. The key though is to make sure you thinly slice them.

Add the thinly sliced onions to the pan.

Along with 2 teaspoons Sugar. Sounds crazy but you're going to have to trust me. The sweetness works deliciously well in this curry.

Stir-fry the onions over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are a light golden brown.

Then, add in:
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder (less, if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon Salt

And, pour in 75ml Water.

Stir and fry for 5 minutes until the oil has risen to the surface.

Next, add in the chicken along with all its marinade.

Stir-fry for 10 minutes until the chicken is golden and no longer pink.

Throw in 2 slit Green Chillies. Add more, if you like!

Once the chicken is golden and everything smells lovely ...

.... pour in 400ml Hot Water.

This curry has more water because I like it with more sauce. Add less if you prefer but do remember that the potatoes will thicken things up when they're added.

Speaking of, add in the par-boiled potatoes from earlier.

Stir gently and bring to a boil.

Cover with a lid and turn the heat right down. Cook for 25 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fully cooked.

Whilst the curry cooks, boil up some rice and slice up cucumber and limes to serve.

When the curry is cooked, turn off the heat.

And, finish with a Small Handful of Fresh Coriander, finely chopped.

There is nothing better to eat this curry with than hot rice so let's do that!

The best food for a dreary February day.

On the side, we love sliced cucumber, lime wedges and green chillies.

My idea of comfort food - I hope you love it too!

Turmeric Chicken and Potato Curry.

one of my favourite warming curries for Winter.

Prep Time: About 30 minutes + extra time to marinade.
Cook Time: About 1 hour.
Serves: About 4 people.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade
1 Whole Chicken, cut into pieces for curry (with bone but no skin)
1 small Red or White Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 Green Chillies, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder (use less, if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
2 tablespoons Yoghurt
2 tablespoons Mustard Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lime

For the Curry
3 tablespoons Mustard Oil
2 Dried Red Chillies
2 Bay Leaves
3 Green Cardamoms
1 small Cinnamon Stick
8 Black Peppercorns
6 medium Red or White Onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder (use less, if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Water, as needed
2 Green Chillies, slit
4 medium Potatoes, peeled, halved and par-boiled
Small handful Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

To Serve
Boiled Rice
Sliced Cucumber
Lime Wedges
Green Chillies, if you can handle the heat

Marinade the chicken:
  • Place all the chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix really well. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight or for a few hours. If you are in a real rush, you can also cook straight away.
Cook the curry:
  • Heat the mustard oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Once hot, add in the dried red chillies, bay leaves, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, and black peppercorns. Fry for 1 minute until the spices are sizzling gently.
  • Add in the sliced onions and sugar. Stir-fry over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are a light golden brown.
  • Add in the turmeric powder, salt and 75ml water. Stir and fry for 5 minutes until the oil has risen to the surface.
  • Add in the chicken along with all its marinade. Stir-fry for 10 minutes until the chicken is golden and no longer pink. 
  • Add in the green chillies, par-boiled potatoes, and 400ml hot water. Stir gently and bring to the boil. Then, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook the curry for 25 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fully cooked.
  • Taste the sauce and add more salt, if needed. Sprinkle over the fresh coriander and turn off the heat.
  • Serve with hot boiled rice, cucumber, lime and green chillies.
{adapted from bong eats}

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your turmeric chicken potato curry!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


Spice Enthusiast
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