Chicken Curry with Eggs served on Rice, originally uploaded by Shivanand Velmurugan.
Thank you Mr. Raghavan Iyer. This is the man, that wrote the book 660 Curries, that has initiated me into making proper Indian food. In the last month or so, since my return from my vacation to India, I have tried eating good food, and have found cooking a very rewarding activity. It helps you think more about what you want to put in your mouth and somehow, also makes you eat less!
I made some chicken curry last weekend, and here’s the recipe: (I didn’t have some stuff and used some substitutes instead)
2 tbsp of Canola oil
1/2 tsp. cloves (Didn’t have any of these :) )
4 green or white cardamom pods (I didn’t use any though)
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
4 medium-size cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 slices of ginger (2 tsp of ginger)
1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped.
2 tsps of garam masala
1 tsp of salt
1 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
(thighs taste better, but I used chicken breasts instead - lower in fat)
1/2 cup of chicken broth
4 tbps of heavy whipping cream
2 tbps of fresh, finely chopped cilantro leaves and some tender sprigs for garnishing
**Optional:
**1 large onion finely chopped (I just wanted some extra flavour)
4 hard boiled eggs (my addition, ofcourse :) )
Here’s how you make it:
1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, and fry the cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks until light brown (1-2 mins)
2. Add the onions, and fry until golden brown.
3. Add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, garam masala and salt. Cook until tomatoes are done, but still firm to touch. (3 to 5 mins)
4. Stir in the chicken and the broth. Bring the curry to a boil and let it simmer until the chicken is done. (10 - 15 mins). Remember not to overcook the chicken breast, since it becomes quite rubbery and hard.
5. Fold in the cream, and stir to blend the cream in. Make small incisions in the hard boiled eggs and add them to the curry, and roll over the sauce. Cover and allow the curry to warm up again. Be careful not to overcook after the cream, since you don’t want the fat in the cream to separate.
6. Serve the curry with the eggs over a bed of steaming white basmati rice.
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