A Fine Chicken Curry Recipe

Curry has been a staple of British cuisine for over a hundred years. The blend of spices and tender meats with rich gravy is enough to entice any palette and bring gastronomes of all tastes to the dinner table.

Curry recipes first appeared in British cookbooks in the mid-18th century when the East India Company was slowly taking hold of the subcontinent. Colonists in India soon developed a taste for the local cuisine creating a demand for it back home. Britain's first Indian restaurant, The Hindoostanee Coffee House opened its doors in 1810 and soon dishes like chicken curry became the norm. Indian spices began to appear more in British shops and by the late 19th century, Indian cuisine had become a favorite of the British palette. Queen Victoria who deemed the dish to be 'excellent' even ordered the Royal chefs to make it every day.

By the late 19th century, Indian restaurants had become common in port towns throughout the British Isles, though they were mainly to serve Indian workers in Britain. However, the early 20th century saw the opening of high-end Indian restaurants that catered more to British tastes. After the Second World War, an influx of Indian migrants came to the UK and soon followed a surge of Indian restaurants across the country. Then in the 1970s, civil war brought a stream of Bangladeshi refugees to British shores and the curry craze continued. Britain's love affair with Indian cuisine kept growing throughout the rest of the 20th century then in 2001, the then foreign secretary, Robin Cook, boldly stated that 'Chicken Tikka Masala is now a true British national dish.'

Over the years, curry became a fixation of mine and something I wanted to master. I delved deep into the world of Indian cuisine, trying to unravel the magic and mystery of this wonderful delicacy. Through reading all sorts of cooking materials, watching Indian chefs in action in the restaurant kitchen, and my own trial and error, I have finally put together, what is to my mind at least, a fine chicken curry recipe.

Boiling it down, curry is made of four key components; spices, paste, gravy, and meat. These are the pillars of this culinary masterpiece and below are the ingredients needed and the directions to follow.

Ingredients

Whole Spices

Cumin Seeds

Fenugreek

Fennel Seeds

Mustard Seeds

Bay Leaf

Powdered Spices

Curry Powder

Cumin Powder

Chili Powder

Turmeric Powder

Smoked Paprika Powder

Vegetables

Garlic

Ginger

White Onion

Tomatoes

Fresh Coriander

Meat

Whole Chicken Breast

Other

Cooking oil

Olive Oil

Salt

Black Pepper

Lemon Juice

Greek Yogurt

Directions

For the Paste

Take a large ginger root, chop it into small chunks, and place it in a food processor. Then add crushed garlic and a splash of water stock. Blitz into a paste and then pour into a bowl. Next, add salt and olive oil and mix with a tablespoon. Then place in the fridge and leave overnight.

For the Gravy

Pour cooking oil into a large pot. Once heated, add chopped white onions and gently cook until they are soft. Next, add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, and chili powder, and cook until fragrant. Then add sliced tomatoes and salt and cook for another five to seven minutes on low heat. Add chopped coriander and blitz with a hand blender, or pour the contents into a food processor, blend, and return to the pot.

From here, add water stock and let the gravy gently simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water stock if needed. Once it's cooked down, remove it from the hob and leave to cool. Then place in the fridge and leave overnight. Ideally, it should be about the same density as milk, but don't worry if it's a bit thicker.

For The Meat

Take a whole chicken breast and slice it into either chunks or strips, then season with salt. Next, take a bowl and three tablespoons of Greek yogurt, then add curry powder, turmeric, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Mix to make a marinade and add chicken pieces. Stir until evenly coated, then place cling film over the top and store in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours.

For the Curry

Place a skillet pan on the hob and heat on a high flame. Pour in the cooking oil. Once it's hot, add the chicken pieces. Cook on high heat, sealing the chicken then switch to a lower flame and cook for five to seven minutes. Once the chicken is ready, remove the pan and leave to one side.

Now place a separate skillet on the hob, heat on a medium flame, and add cooking oil. Once the oil is heated, add cumin seeds, fenugreek, fennel, mustard seeds, and a bay leaf. Cook the mixture until fragrant, then add two to three tablespoons of garlic and ginger paste and stir. Next, add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and smoked paprika.

Cook the spiced paste and then add the chicken and continue to stir. Give the mixture a squirt of lemon juice to keep it from getting dry and give it a nice tang. Next, spoon in helpings of gravy, add a pinch of salt, mix, and cook on low heat for five-to-seven minutes. Once it's ready, take the pan off the hob and leave it to rest for a few minutes, then remove the bay leaf, garnish it with some chopped coriander, and serve with a side of rice.

The great thing about this recipe is that it makes a base for many restaurant favorites. You could throw a handful of chopped onions in with the paste and make a Dopiaza, or add some chopped peppers and green chilies to make a Jalfrezi. If you're into the ticker curries, you could add a helping of onion paste and make a Bhuna, or along with that, add some vinegar and potatoes and make it a Vindaloo. It's entirely up to you.

Bon Appetit