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Chicken Curry

Curry paste, the flavor base for many Indian stews, often begins with a puree of onion, garlic, and ginger, which is sautéed with spice blends (masalas) until golden brown and caramelized. There are countless varieties of curry pastes in Indian cooking, and the one in this recipe is among the most basic and traditional. The spice blends used in Indian curries are first either toasted in a dry pan or sautéed in oil; in both methods, the heat stimulates the oils in the spices—you’ll know they are ready when they are fragrant (keep a very close eye on them, to prevent burning). Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can make a variety of curries using fish, shrimp, beef, lamb, goat, or one or more vegetables, such as cauliflower or peas and potatoes.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 6

Ingredients

For garam masala

1 cinnamon stick, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice

For paste

3 medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped (3 1/2 cups)
10 to 12 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 piece (4 ounces) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons sunflower or other neutral-tasting oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black or brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons tomato paste

For stew

1 quart Basic Chicken Stock (page 41)
1 teaspoon turmeric
6 fresh curry leaves (optional)
2 dried bay leaves
3 small dried red chiles, finely ground
Coarse salt
10 chicken thighs (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut in half through the bone (or left whole)
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish

For serving (optional)

Cooked basmati rice (page 412)
Plain yogurt
Lime wedges

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make garam masala Gently toast the spices in a dry sauté pan over medium heat until they are fragrant. Let cool slightly, then grind spice to a fine powder in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. You should have about 1/4 cup.

    Step 2

    Prepare paste Puree the onions, garlic, and ginger in a blender until smooth. Set a Dutch oven or other heavy pot pot over medium heat. When it is hot, add the oil, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until fragrant and starting to turn golden brown, and mustard seeds begin to pop, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the onion paste and cook until caramelized, about 45 minutes. During this time, you’ll need to stir only occasionally in the beginning, but as the moisture evaporates you’ll need to stir more and more frequently and, at the end, fairly constantly to keep it from turning too dark. Once the paste is ready, stir in the garam masala and tomato paste and continue cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes.

    Step 3

    Make stew Pour in the stock and deglaze pot, stirring vigorously to incorporate the paste mixture. Add turmeric, curry leaves, bay leaves, and ground chiles, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stock has reduced slightly (and the flavors have melded), about 45 minutes. Add the chicken and potatoes, submerging them in the liquid as much as possible. Simmer until the chicken is tender (but not falling off the bone) and cooked through (prick the meat to make sure the juices run clear) and the potatoes are tender (they should still hold their shape but offer little resistance when pricked with a sharp knife). This will take about 30 minutes more.

    Step 4

    Serve Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine. Garnish stew with cilantro sprigs, and serve with rice, yogurt, and lime wedges, as desired.

  2. Ingredients

    Step 5

    Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients called for, since many of them are quickly assembled to make classic spice blends and pastes from scratch. If you want to take a short cut, use storebought garam masala (about 1/4 cup). Be aware, though, that the flavor will not be nearly as pronounced (and will tend to taste too strongly of cloves).

  3. Step 6

    Fresh curry leaves and Indian cinnamon sticks can be found at Indian (and some Asian) food markets or from online purveyors. Curry leaves are optional, but the flavor will be more authentic with them.

Reprinted with permission from Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook by Martha Stewart. Copyright © 2008 by Martha Stewart. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of bestselling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the Emmy-winning, daily national syndicated program, and founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which publishes several magazines, including Martha Stewart Living; produces Martha Stewart Living Radio, channel 112 on SIRIUS Satellite Radio; and provides a wealth of ideas and information on www.marthastewart.com.
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