West: bombay style chicken curry in delicate

4 Servings

Quantity Ingredient
Stephen Ceideburg
1 teaspoon Cumin seed
6 Whole cloves
8 Black peppercorns
1 One-inch piece cinnamon stick
5 Green cardamom pods,husked
3 tablespoons Light vegetable oil
1 large Onion, finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Peeled and grated fresh ginger
1½ cup Skinned, chopped tomato
3 pounds Chicken, skinned, cut into serving pieces
½ cup Plain yogurt
1 cup Water
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1½ teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1 cup Half-and-half
2 tablespoons Chopped cilantro
1 Red onion, peeled, sliced
1 Red or green bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 Lemon, cut into wedges

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.

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