Easy Chicken Curry In A Hurry

We have another great recipe from our resident British Chef at Heart Nicola who is spicing it up in the kitchen with Indian Curry one of my favourites. This curry recipe is just full of love and wonderful Indian spices that every kitchen should have if you love to cook homemade meals from scratch.

Growing up in the UK I can remember having plenty of Indian friends some of whom I am still friends with today. I was exposed to Indian food at a young age from my friends but also from local restaurants.

I was always on the hunt for quick chicken recipes and Indian curry was always my go-to meal when I needed something in a flash. I don’t tend to make many beef recipes but when I do making a beef curry is just as easy and tasty as using chicken. If you want a vegetarian curry simple omit the meat and use a variety of your favourite vegetables in the curry sauce.

I find take-away Indian cuisine in the UK is as popular as Chinese Food take-away in Canada. My love for Indian cuisine brought me to India where I ate some of the finest Indian foods and probably some I will never master.  There’s nothing quite like an authentic chicken curry but there is no reason you can’t make your own curry at home.

The CBB house has a few Indian cookbooks and we certainly have all the lovely spices Nicola will be sharing in this quick and easy curry recipe today. I have made Mrs.CBB many Indian Curry recipes and although the flavours were new to her she said they were welcoming, fresh flavours different from the same flavours she had grown up with.

The best part is not only that it is actually curry in a hurry it is a frugal recipe that your friends will enjoy and won’t cost a fortune to make. Sometimes it’s nice to cook outside the norm and try something new. – Mr.CBB

This basic curry recipe I created with some of the lovely spices in The Dalda Cookbook. This curry recipe can be used to incorporate beef, chicken or vegetables whatever you have in your refrigerator or freezer. I decided to go with an Indian creation that I make for my family as my third contribution to Mr.CBB’s Cooking with the Fans Sunday post. My first recipe for CBB was a easy to make shortbread cookies and the last being a Pannetone Bread Pudding which would be a great dessert for this meal.

What is Garam Masala?

We love Curry in our house and the kids have grown up with a little bit of spice in their meals ever since they were able to eat whole foods. Even the mushy stuff had a bit of something in it rather than salt! If you are wondering what is Garam Masala , I’ll tell you. According to Wiki… Garam means “Hot” and Masala means “Spices” which is a blend of ground spices common in North Indian and other South Asian cuisines.

What Spices are in Garam Masala?

That’s a good question and anyone with a sophisticated palate can pick out the lovely spices.

Is Garam Masala hot? If you are asking yourself, “Is Masala hot?” it’s not really, at least I don’t think so as you can see the spices below are not as hot as many believe. The spices are very aromatic yet pungent in flavour but the perfect spice for many recipes.

According to Wiki the Indian version of Garam Masala includes:

• Black and White Peppercorn
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• black and white cumin seeds
• black, brown and green cardamom pods

My inspiration for the exotic spice is India as my great-aunt and uncle ran a tea plantation from the 50’s-60’s and she was always telling stories of what it was like growing up in that time showing us pictures. She also mentioned how lonely it was to be without family, a bit like me at the moment.  She knew it would be a struggle at first but said I would soon settle in my new homeland, Canada, and make new friends.

On my leaving Scotland she handed me a cookbook saying it was one of her first cookbooks called “The Dalda Cookbook” and that she knew that I loved my curry and experimenting with cooking and creating recipes. This is now one of my much cherished cookbooks that you just can’t get anymore! It is certainly a treasure to be handed down to other generations. -Nicola Don

Curry Ingredients

• 1lb Chicken, Beef or Vegetables
• 1 large white onion minced
• 2 tsps Curry powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 Cup of Chicken/Beef Stock or 1 cube
• 1/2 can of Coconut milk 
• 1 tspn Corn starch
• I tsp ground cumin
• Coriander
• You can add other vegetables to this I usually add peas
• 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How To Make Curry

• Add oil in the pan and when hot enough add the minced onions and spices.
• Cook until you can smell the aroma of spices (a couple of minutes) then add your choice of meat, chicken, or vegetables. 
• Keep stirring until everything is coated and the Beef, Chicken or Vegetables are starting to simmer.
• Now add your stock a bit at a time stirring all the bits that are stuck to the pan (best bits with the most flavour).
• Bring your curry mix up to a simmer and then add coconut milk.
• Stir until it starts changing texture and colour.
• It should thicken slightly but we don’t want it runny so now mix in your corn starch with a little water until it turns to a liquid paste. 
• Now add cornstarch in gradually until your curry thickens. You may not need to use all of the cornstarch.
• Then add peas and simmer until cooked and the Beef/chicken or Veg are tender.
• Lastly add as much coriander as you prefer ( I just add a handful) and there you have it!
• Serve on a bed of  Basmati rice with homemade Naan bread or homemade pita bread and mango chutney!

And the finished Chicken Curry, enjoy!

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