So, I have a dear
friend here in my little town. Sujoo. I love her guts very much and
not just because she makes some of the most killer Indian food I’ve
ever eaten in my life. I can’t count the number of times I
picked my kids up from school last year and she’d rush over to
my car with a container of food she had made that day.
Fresh paneer. Spicy
Khara bread. Creamy dips. Spiced potato dumpling/fritters.
Gulab jamun. Palak paneer. And on and on. I’m powerless to
resist Sujoo’s food and even more powerless to share with my
family. Indian food hoarder. That’s me.
Cute Sujoo
Well, this one day, I’m
at Sujoo’s house learning her method for making ghee (clarified
butter) and she asks me what my favorite kind of Indian food is and I
start gushing: “Oh my gosh, I just love curry, it’s my
favorite Indian food everrrr.”
Sujoo, too nice to tell
me I was being a nincompoop, politely informs me that in India, there
is no such thing as curry (the spice that we all keep in our spice
cabinets). Instead, curry refers to a gravy or sauce not a
flavor or spice.
Thankfully this
embarrassing experience was months and months ago, but did you know
that? Am I late to the curry party? Do I need to get out more? I
think I may have heard that important fact once upon a time but
clearly forgot it (won’t happen again). I kind of lose my
rational mind when it comes to curry.
My point? Well, this
delicious curry in a hurry is probably not something my friend Sujoo
would ever make since it doesn’t scream traditional Indian
cuisine, but if you love the flavors of curry and want it quickly,
this will definitely fit the bill.
It’s simple. It’s
lightened up. It’s really flavorful and super yummy. I’ll
keep begging authentic Indian food from sweet Sujoo; but on my own,
I’ll be making this dish over and over. It’s a perfect
weeknight meal and a complete family pleaser (read: no complaining).
Truthfully, it’s
so easy, I could pass off the dinner-making responsibilities
to a few of my older kids while I lounge on the couch eating dark
chocolate covered dried cranberries (modern day equivalent of
bonbons) and watching Steel Magnolias, but that would make it
much harder for me to snitch a piece or two of the tender chicken
smothered in that fabulous curry sauce. And that just isn’t
acceptable.
Chicken Curry in a Hurry Yield: Serves 4
Fresh ginger is really
fantastic in this recipe. If you've never used it or don't know this
great tip: buy a knob of ginger, cut it into 1-inch pieces (no need
to peel), and freeze it. When you need it in a recipe, take a chunk
out of the freezer and grate it on a rasp grater or the small holes
of a box grater. Super easy!
Curry powders vary
greatly in flavor and spiciness so make sure you use a curry powder
you like. My very favorite curry powder is the Sweet Curry Powder
from Penzey's. I use it almost exclusively whenever curry powder is
called for. You can also substitute curry paste for the powder but
start with less (about 1 teaspoon) and add more if you need it.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger (see note)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 teaspoons curry powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (13.6 ounce) lite coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Hot, cooked rice or quinoa for serving
Directions
In a large, 12-inch nonstick
skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the ginger and
garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, until it
starts to smell fragrant.
Sprinkle in the curry powder,
coriander and cumin. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring to
prevent burning.
Add the chicken and cook until
lightly browned, 2-3 minutes (it doesn't need to be cooked all the
way through quite yet).
Stir in the coconut milk, brown
sugar, fish sauce, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
If you would like the sauce a bit
thicker, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water
in a small bowl. Once combined, stir the mixture into the simmering
curry. Simmer, stirring constantly, for a minute or so until the
sauce thickens a bit.
Stir in the cilantro. Season with
additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve the curry over
hot, cooked rice, quinoa or whatever else you might like (or it can
be served on its own).
Recipe Source:
adapted slightly from a recipe a lovely reader, Robin. A, sent me (it
was a Weight Watchers recipe she tried and passed along) — I
decreased the sugar and fish sauce, added cilantro, used curry powder
instead of paste, added chicken
Melanie Gunnell is a food-loving, chocolate-obsessed mom who has a desperate need to share
her favorite tried-and-true recipes with the world. In a past life she graduated from Brigham
Young University with a degree in public health, but for the past ten years, stay-at-home
motherhood has been her job along with blogging-from-home for the past five.
She resides in the brilliantly cold tundra of Northern Minnesota with her husband and their brood
of five children: four boys and one tiny, bossy girl. Dark chocolate (particularly the act of
shoving chocolate chips in her mouth whilst hiding in the pantry) is her coping skill of choice for
both the never-ending winters and the never-ending wrestling matches in her front room.