Indian Chicken Curry

Indian Chicken Curry

Alyssa absolutely loves Indian food, so she particularly enjoyed this meal. The rest of us really liked it, too. We served the curry with basmati rice and naan bread.

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb (500 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup (1 ½ oz/45g) unsalted cashews
1 large yellow onion
2 small tomatoes
2 Tbsp clarified butter or canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp seeded and minced green jalapeno chile
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
½ cup (4 fl oz/125 mL) coconut milk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Toast and grind the coriander and cumin seeds. (Toast seeds in a skillet over medium-high heat until the seeds begin to pop, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then grind using either a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.) In a bowl, stir together the toasted seeds, turmeric, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, the cayenne pepper, and oil until well mixed.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add to the bowl with the spice paste and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Toast the cashews and then chop coarsely. Set aside.

Thinly slice the onion. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and remove the seeds, then chop the flesh. In a sauté pan over high heat, heat the clarified butter. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chile, bay leaves, and star anise and continue to saute until the onion is light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté just until the meat turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and ½ tsp salt and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Transfer to a warmed bowl , garnish with the cashews and cilantro, and serve at once.

Offer basmati rice to accompany the chicken and its curry sauce. We also like to serve naan bread with it.

Recipe source: The Williams Sonoma Cookbook