Chai Pani’s Malabar Chicken Curry
By: Sommer
Published: Sunday, August 8, 2010 - 9:04pm

Ingredients




2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup vegetable oil+ 1 Tb
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
15 curry leaves, finely chopped
3 smalls dried red chiles (cayenne, bird)
4 cups chopped red onion (2 large onions)
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and/or stems)
3 cups chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Preparation

1 Pour ½ cup oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and red chiles. 2 Sauté for 1-2 minutes, then add the ginger and onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the onions to brown until they are dark and soft enough the smash with a spatula—about 25-30 minutes. 3 Add the chili powder, coriander, turmeric, and cilantro—mix together. 4 Raise the heat back to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, and lime juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil separates out—15-20 minutes. 5 Add ½ cup of water and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat. 6 In a separate skillet, heat 1 Tb. of oil over high. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides, leaving the centers pink—2-4 minutes. 7 Add the chicken to the curry and simmer 5-7 minutes until the chicken has cooked through. Serve over basmati rice.

About


Cook's Notes: I went to a small foreign market to collect some of the unique ingredients for this recipe. There, I had no trouble finding everything on my list. Extra curry leaves can be wrapped and frozen for later use. This is a GREAT make-ahead! Letting the curry sit overnight enhances the flavors!