Bombay style chicken curry in delicate cream sauce

4 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
Stephen Ceideburg
1.00teaspoonCumin seed
6.00Whole cloves
8.00Black peppercorns
1.00One-inch piece cinnamon stick
5.00Green cardamom pods,husked
3.00tablespoonLight vegetable oil
1.00largeOnion, finely chopped
3.00Garlic cloves, minced
1.00tablespoonPeeled and grated fresh ginger
cupSkinned, chopped tomato
3.00poundsChicken, skinned, cut into serving pieces
½cupPlain yogurt
1.00cupWater
½teaspoonCayenne pepper
teaspoonSalt, or to taste
1.00cupHalf-and-half
2.00tablespoonChopped cilantro
1.00Red onion, peeled, sliced
1.00Red or green bell pepper, cored and sliced
1.00Lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

GARNISHES:

Every state has its own style of cooking chicken. This dish, which is cooked in a fragrant cream sauce, is popular in Maharashtra, Bombay.

Combine cumin, cloves, pepper corns, cinnamon and cardamom seeds in an electric coffee mill and grind until reduced to a powder. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until onion is lightly browned, about 4 minutes,

Add ground spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about I minute. Add tomato and chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken pieces are no longer pink.

Add yogurt and turn chicken pieces to coat. Add water, cayenne and salt.

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Stir in half-and-half; simmer until chicken is tender and sauce is thick, about 10 minutes.

Skim off excess fat.

Arrange chicken on a heated, deep serving dish and pour sauce over.

Garnish with cilantro.

Surround with onions, peppers and lemon wedges.

PER SERVING: 365 calories, 36 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat ( 6 g saturated), 119 mg cholesterol, 959 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Laxmi Hiremath writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 6/24/92.