CURRIED CHICKEN

SERVES 8

I am not and never will be an expert on curry. There are so many different varieties and there is just not enough time in life to experiment with everything. However, I had curried food in the past and did not like it at all. When I found out they were made with curry powder, I decided to find out the ingredients and make my own. This is very good and a nice change of pace. Fact is, you have to experiment and decide which spices you prefer. Two ingredients I did not add are fenugreek, which I can not get locally, and hot peppers, because I am not into very spicy foods. See what I mean about making it to your taste. Use as many whole spices as you can and grind them yourself. Mine is a mixture of whole and ground.

INGREDIENTS

8 chicken thighs (or chicken parts as desired)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground

1 tablespoon fennel seeds, ground

1 teaspoon ground cardamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 bay leaf

1 large tomato, chopped (about 2 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup plain yoghurt (can use sour cream)

Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in pan and brown about 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan and add 1 tablespoon butter. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add all of the spices and sauté about 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Scrape up the bottom of the pan; add the water and scrape more. Return the chicken and any juices that accumulated to the pan. Cover; braise until tender and done, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the yoghurt and heat for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with Herbed Rice, made with some of the same spices as in the chicken.

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