CHICKEN-CURRY(M)         USENET Cookbook         CHICKEN-CURRY(M)

MURGH MUSALLAM

     CHICKEN-CURRY - Chicken curry

     This recipe is the real thing.  Throw out your curry powder:
     you'll never use it again once you've tried this recipe.
     Chicken curry using the real spices cannot be beat!!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2-3)
     1         chicken
     1 piece   fresh ginger (about 3/4 inch of a ginger root)
     12-14     garlic cloves
     1         large onion
     1         cinnamon stick
     2         whole brown cardamom pods
     4         whole green cardamom pods
     1         whole star anise (use all 8 arms and the seeds
               inside them)
     12-14     black peppercorns
     6-8       cloves
     1 tsp     turmeric
     1 tsp     red chili powder (or substitute fresh red chilies,
               diced)
     2         green chilies
     1/2 cup   yogurt
     1/4 cup   oil (preferably ghee, if available)
     salt      to taste
               fresh coriander leaves (optional)

PROCEDURE
          (1)  Clean and joint chicken.  If you don't like the
               skin, remove it.

          (2)  Mash the ginger into a paste (or chop finely) and
               mince the garlic.

          (3)  Heat oil in a large frying pan. Use "medium high
               heat".

          (4)  Break apart the star anise to release the seeds
               inside the arms.  To the frypan, add onions, cin-
               namon stick, cardamom pods, star aniseed, pepper-
               corns, cloves, garlic and ginger. Be careful not
               to burn the garlic.  Sauté until the onions are
               cooked but not browned.

          (5)  Add the chicken, turmeric, and chili powder and
               cook on a medium heat, stirring often.

          (6)  When the oil starts to separate (the gravy will
               have oil floating on its surface), add the yogurt
               and cook till the chicken is done and the gravy is
               thick. Finally, add the fresh coriander leaves.

NOTES
     This is the basic recipe. Try  varying the whole spice com-
     binations until you find a favorite.  The recipe doubles
     well.

     A cardamom pod is not the same thing as a cardamom seed.
     Make sure you get the pods. A pod is about the size of a
     pea, and contains seeds inside it.  Don't substitute the
     ground version of any of the whole spices, the effect will
     not be the same. And don't use white cardamom pods.

     You may want to remove the smaller whole spices prior to
     adding the yogurt so that unwitting guests don't eat them.
     Try the recommended quantity of garlic. The flavour is
     surprisingly subtle.  More yogurt makes more gravy. Also a
     longer cooking time.  Vary the amount of chilies to suit
     your taste. This recipe is medium hot.  I hope this satis-
     fies your mouth-hunger.  The spice quantities may be varied
     to suit your preferences.

RATING
     Difficulty: easy, though timing matters when cooking the
     onions.  Time: 20 minutes preparation, 1 1/2 hours cooking.
     Precision: measure the oil.

CONTRIBUTOR
     Joseph Sotham
     University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC
     joseph@ubc-medgen.cdn
     It is better to travel happily than to arrive
     Path: decwrl!recipes
     From: abc@nott.cs (Andy Cheese)
     Newsgroups: mod.recipes
     Subject: RECIPE: Quick chicken curry
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     Date: 16 Jan 87 04:49:16 GMT
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