Dear Kibitzers,
Tonight I am going to explain a basic North Indian curry recipe. Once you make the curry masala (mixture) you can use it to make a number of dishes with minor tweaks--chicken curry, potatoes and peas curry, (one of my absolute favorites) lamb curry, mixed vegetable curry, meatballs in a curry, tofu curry, fish curry, etc.
To make the curry masala you need 2-3 medium onions, chopped finely, 2-3 tablespoons of minced ginger, 1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste. (At least 2 tablespoons if you are using the canned variety, and a bit less if you are using the tube. I prefer a 3/4 tablespoon of tubed tomato paste and 1 small fresh tomato diced finely.) Salt, cayenne, and turmeric. So, these are the absolutely essential ingredients to make a curry mixture.
If you can get Garam Masala (I like the Raja or Madras brands in the Indian store) that would be really good. Garam Masala is not absolutely necessary, but I would very strongly recommend it. The other spices I recommend are all optional; if you can get them easily, they'll add more flavor, but you can totally make a very good curry mixture without them.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil on medium heat and add the chopped onions and let then brown--about 10-15 minutes. Then add the minced ginger and garlic and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the turmeric and garam masala (and if you have them, a pinch of ground coriander, and a pinch of all-spice powder.) If the mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water to loosen it. Stir it a couple of times, then add the diced and paste tomatoes. That will help further to deglaze the mixture. Continue cooking on medium heat for another 3-5 minutes, till the fresh tomatoes get fully incorporated. Add 1/2 cup of water, turn heat to very low, cover the pot, and let the masala simmer for 30-40 minutes, checking in occasionally to stir and make sure that the mixture is not sticking to the bottom. If it is, just add a little more water.
(I normally do this in my old fashioned pressure cooker, and once the tomatoes are incorporated I use the pressure steam to cook the mixture--about 2 whistles or 3-4 minutes on low heat after the first whistle.)
So, at this point you should have the basic curry mixture almost ready. Turn the heat to medium and cook it for a couple more minutes stirring all the while, while the mixture turns a rich brown and the oil separates. That is to say, the mixture stops sticking to the sides of the pan and gathers together in the center of the pan when you stir and the oil stays at the sides. So there you are!! You have the basic curry masala ready and now you can do whatever you like.
To make chicken curry, get 1 and 1/2 to 2 pounds of skinless chicken--you can use breast meat (bone in or not) drum sticks, thighs, whatever you like, and chop them in sizes that you prefer. They should all be skinless. When the masala is ready add the chicken pieces, and let them cook on medium heat for 4-6 minutes stirring all the while. Then add a cup of water to the whole, turn heat to low, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, till the chicken is cooked thoroughly. You may need to taste for salt and pepper and season accordingly. If it is too salty, add some heavy cream, or some boiled potatoes, if it is too fiery, add some lemon juice. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. And there you have it--chicken curry!!
If you are using lamb or beef or goat I would add a pinch of ground cloves, cinnamon, and ground green cardamoms (just 1-2). Green cardamoms are incredibly fragrant, so if you shell them and grind the seeds of 1 or 2 pods, you will get an amazing aroma. Green cardamom tends to be rather expensive, so don't throw the shells away--you can use them to flavor your tea. Like cinnamon, cardamom is one of those unbelievably versatile spices--used in both savory and sweet dishes.
There is another variation you can try--after making the curry mixture and adding the chicken, instead of a cup of water, add half a cup of coconut milk and half a cup of water, and let the chicken simmer in that. That combination is used more in southern India and is absolutely delicious.
As you can see from the difference in color coconut curry chicken is lighter than the North Indian version.
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