Ingredients
- For the Hot Curry Spice Blend:
- 1 tablespoon turmeric, scant palmful
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2/3 palmful
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 2/3 palmful
- 2 teaspoons hot paprika, 2/3 palmful
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/3 palmful
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, eyeball the amount in your palm
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- (Or, instead of mixing your own spice blend above, substitute 2 tablespoons curry powder combined with 1 tablespoon hot paprika)
- For the Chicken: 2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 inches ginger root, grated or minced
- 4 large cloves finely chopped
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, eyeball the amount in your palm
- 1 Fresno or other moderate heat red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Chopped toasted peanuts or sliced almonds
- Finely chopped mint and cilantro
Yield
Preparation
Combine Hot Curry Spice Blend or curry powder and paprika in small bowl.
Place chicken in a shallow dish and mix with half of the spice blend, garlic, salt and pepper, and lime juice. Cover and let stand 45 minutes to 1 hour.
When chicken has finished marinating, heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, ginger, garlic, bay, chili pepper and season with salt and remaining half of spice blend. Cook, stirring frequently, 7-8 minutes to soften. Add in tomatoes and stock, and bring to boil. Slide in chicken and cover pan partially with lid or foil, to allow some steam to escape. Reduce heat to a simmer and poach chicken in sauce about 20 minutes. Serve with garnishes over rice.
