Simple chicken curry

We wanted some simple Indian home food today for dinner and chicken curry definitely hits the spot for us. This is a quick and simple recipe and the ingredients are mostly ingredients that exist in an Indian home pantry. If you don’t own all these ingredients, they are available at most Asian grocery stores or at Penzey’s (www.penzeys.com)

This serves 2 people for a dinner portion or 4 for a lunch portion.
The curry was done in about 45 minutes and served with hot naan.

For a vegetarian option, use paneer and green peas instead of chicken. 

1. 1.Grind: Grind together:1 tsp cumin seeds
   1 tsp black pepper
   2 cloves
   1 green cardamom
   1/2 tsp turmeric
   1-inch piece cinnamon
   1 medium yellow onion
   2 green chilies (for medium heat)3 garlic cloves
   1-inch ginger
   1 cup light coconut milk2 tbsp tamarind paste
   1 tbsp olive oil
   1 large tomato
   
2. 2.Fry: 1/2 onion, diced with 2 tsp dried or frozen fenugreek for 5 minutes in 1tbsp olive oil. Add above purée, season with salt and cook until the purée thickens, about 10 minutes.
3. 3.Add: 1 lb (1/2 kilo) boneless chicken breasts. Cook on medium until the water from the chicken dries up, about 10–15 minutes. Turn heat to low, cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes. 
4. 4.Serve: Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with hot naan. 

To re-use the left overs, layer the curry with half-cooked white or brown rice in an oven proof dish, alternating with milk infused with saffron. Cover tightly and let it slow bake on 250F (120C) for 20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with yogurt.