by Harsha Dewa

Created on: April 16, 2008   Last Updated: March 08, 2012

There are many recipes available for a basic chicken curry, but how do we know which is the best one? The different styles of curries originated from different parts of India and from the pot they were cooked in. For example, you may have noticed all the names of the curries on a menu at an Indian restaurant. They can be identified from the way they are cooked. You'll have Tandoori (charcoal clay oven on a very high heat), Karahi (a wok style with a flat base) and Haandi (dish with a concave bottom for even heat).

This recipe has been adapted personally from my mother's recipe and I call it a basic dish, as I normally modify it every time I make it. Either by using a different meat, adding vegetables or even adding some yogurt.

Ingredients:
2 large boneless chicken breasts washed and cut into 1-inch square pieces
2 large onions finely chopped
2 pieces cinnamon sticks (2 inches long)
4 cloves
2 tablespoons oil (sunflower or olive)
5 bay (curry) leaves
tin of chopped tomatoes or 4 tomatoes finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 root ginger preferably chopped in a blender
2 tsp salt
1-2 green chillies (more if a hot curry is required)
Pinch of turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp ground cumin powder
tsp black pepper
Juice from 1 lime
A small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, washed and chopped

Peel and chop the ginger, garlic and chillies and add salt. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and bay leaves then add the chopped onions. Fry the onions until a medium brown color. The color of the curry is determined by how brown your onions are.

Now add the garlic/ginger paste and mix into the onions. Mix in the chicken pieces and keep frying until the chicken has turned white on all the sides.
Add the tomatoes, stir and cover with the lid. Lower the heat. Once the sauce has started to bubble, add the turmeric, coriander and cumin powder and black pepper.

Leave to simmer on a low heat for half an hour, whilst stirring every 5-10 minutes. Finally, add half the lime juice, stir and taste. Add the second half if required. Leave to simmer for an additional 10 mins. or until the chicken is tender. Before serving, sprinkle the coriander leaves on the top.

The perfect rice dish with your curry.

Approximately 2 oz. of rice is ideal per person. I normally judge it by a handful per person. Wash the rice thoroughly in cold water, drain and then wash again. Continue for several times or until the water remains clear. Drain and add fresh cold water. Leave to rest for about 20 minutes.

Heat a saucepan filled with water until it starts to simmer. Add a few strands of saffron, tsp of salt and tsp of jeera seeds. If no saffron is available, you can add a small pinch of turmeric instead. Once the water has started to boil, add the rice and lower the heat slightly to make sure it doesn't boil over. After 2 mins., add 1 tsp of lemon juice (fresh or bottle).

Stir the rice occasionally and check if the rice is ready by pressing a few grains between your fingers. If it is tender then sieve the rice. I normally pour some boiling water over it to remove any starch. Leave to stand for 5 mins. before serving.

If I have fresh coriander leaves available, I wash and chop the green stems very finely and add about 1 tablespoon of it into the water 2 minutes before I drain the rice. This gives the rice a beautiful aroma and taste.

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