Make Your Own Chicken Masala for Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry straight from the Dutch oven

Ingredients:

5-6 lb chicken cut into cubes (combo of chicken thighs and chicken breast)

1 large onion chopped

14 oz crushed tomatoes

2-3 tsp chopped garlic

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1 green chilli

2–3-inch piece of ginger chopped

chicken masala spice blend (see ingredients below)

2 Tbsp mild curry paste (I use Patak’s brand)

1-2 cups of water

olive oil to coat bottom of pot

2-3 Tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

Salt to taste

Recipe:

1.     Heat a deep Dutch oven or deep pot on medium/high heat for a few minutes. Add oils as listed or enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot, depending on the size of the pot chosen. Heat oils for 2-3 minutes.

2.     Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Put the lid on the pot to contain the seeds in the pot.

3.     Add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick and heat it through in the oil for 1 minute.

4.     Add the onions, ginger, curry leaves, garlic, and green chili to the pot and sauté until the onions are translucent.

5.     Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chicken masala powder. Sauté the onion mixture again until the raw smell of the spices dissipates and merry with the onion mixture.

6.     Add the crushed tomatoes and curry paste as well. Mix everything together until the onion/spice mixture forms a thick gravy.

7.     Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cubed chicken pieces to the pot. Thoroughly coat the chicken with the thick onion/spice mixture gravy until it’s uniformly coated.

8.     Add 1-2 cups of water and slowly stir everything together, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with it. The water level should not cover the chicken entirely. This will ensure a thicker curry consistency. The chicken will release water as it cooks. Add salt and mix.

9.     Cook the chicken curry in the pot covered on medium-high heat for 45 minutes. If more water is needed to loosen up curry consistency, do so 15-20 minutes into the cooking time. Add water as needed to obtain desired consistency. Always stir occasionally so that the curry is cooking evenly. If curry consistency is too thin, place the lid of the pot slightly ajar onto the pot.

10.  Within 45 minutes this flavorful chicken curry can be enjoyed with Rice, Roti, or Naan, and a veggie side dish.

Chicken Masala Spice Blend: Add the following spices to a small bowl and stir to combine

2 Tbsp garam masala

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 Tbsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)

2 tsp cumin powder

Tips for using this spice blend:

• Make 2-3 batches of this blend and mix until well combined. This can be your pre-made spice blend that you create when cooking chicken curry.

• Store spice blend in an air tight container if making excess for storage.

• If using this as a pre-made blend of spices, add desired quantity to different amounts of chicken. This recipe is a guide, however, if using less quantity of chicken add less of the blend. If using more quantity of chicken increase the quantity of the spice blend.

• Experiment and discover what your palate craves and tolerates!

• Options for red chili powder include cayenne pepper (less spicy), Kashmiri red chili powder (less spicy), and red chili from the Indian grocery store (more spicy).

• If you like a spicier kick to your curry, start with a sprinkle of chili powder and increase to your tolerability.