Recipe: Chicken Curry with Tomatoes

Chicken Curry with Tomatoes
Recipe By: Bill Wight
Servings: 3

Here is a recipe for curry chicken that I worked out. It is a favorite in our family and with friends. You can use either white or dark meat or both. The dry marinade of spices on the chicken overnight give the chicken a deep curry taste. I watched the Pakistani cook in our camp in the wilds of Pakistan make his chicken curry like this and everyone in the construction camp loved it.

3 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless
1/2 medium yellow or white onion -- finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 can chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream (NOT low-fat)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 quart stewed tomatoes -- chopped, drained
olive oil for sauteing

Spices:
1 teaspoon cumin seed, whole
1 teaspoon coriander seed, whole
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger, dry, powdered
1/2 teaspoon chile powder, mild
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
12 cardamom pods, cracked, seeds removed

Cut chicken breasts into 1/2x1-inch chunks. Place in glass bowl and set aside.

In a hot dry cast iron skillet, dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds for 30-60 seconds. Do not burn. Remove roasted seeds from skillet. Open cardamom pods and remove the black seeds. Discard the woody pods. Add toasted cumin and coriander seeds and other spices to a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. Sprinkle all the powdered spices over the chicken pieces and mix well with a spoon. Be sure all the chicken pieces are coated with the spice mixture. Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least two hours and better, over night.

Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in tava, wok or large sautepan. Heat oil and add chopped onions. Saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Remove onions and garlic from pan and set aside.

Remove chicken from refrigerator and add some more oil to the pan and saute the chicken pieces a few at a time until browned. Set the browned chicken aside and saute more until all the chicken has been browned. Do not overheat the pan as this will burn the spices stuck to the pan. If the spices on the bottom of the pan are burned, then wash the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and add the sauteed onions and garlic. Add chicken broth to pan. Mix ingredients well, deglazing the browned spices off the bottom of pan. Simmer chicken uncovered until liquid is reduced by half, about 45 minutes.

Add drained tomato chunks. Continue to simmer another 5 minutes or so. The liquid should be reduced so that it is the thickness of gravy.

Mix the sour cream and the plain yogurt together well. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream-yogurt mixture. Serve immediately over plain Basmati rice.

Note: The low fat content of the yogurts available in the US will cause the sauce to break or curdle when it is added to the hot curry if the yogurt is not mixed with sour cream. Non-fat yogurt is even worse. If you must use low or non-fat ingredients, you will just have to live with a curdled sauce.