Chicken & Yoghurt Curry

If you’re looking for a mild curry to satisfy your curry cravings then you should try this one. I made this simple dish to accompany the fiery beef stew the other day so that everybody at the table had something to their taste. It went down a treat and so, I thought I’d share it here.

Chicken breast pieces were marinated in a yoghurty marinade not dissimilar to the one used for tandoori dishes and then cooked slowly to let it convert to a thick, creamy and mild sauce. A great one to mop up with freshly made Indian bread. If you’re rushed for time, you may skip the marinating part and add the marinade ingredients directly to the pan just before adding the chicken. I assure you, it will taste equally delicious.

Chicken & Yoghurt Curry (Serves 4)

Ingredients

For the marinade –

250-300g thick plain yoghurt

2-3tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

2tsp garam masala powder

juice of half a lemon

1/2 to 1 tsp chillli powder (adjust to taste)

1 tsp coriander powder

salt and pepper

500g chicken breasts cut into small pieces

For the sauce –

4tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, finely diced

a thumb sized piece of ginger, finely minced

2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1tsp turmeric powder

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

Method

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Add the chicken and let it marinate for at least an hour or two if not longer.

Once ready to cook, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan or casserole dish, add the cumin seeds. Once they begin to splutter, add the onions and saute until pale and soft. Add the ginger and garlic followed by the turmeric powder. Cook for one or two minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook until they soften a bit.

Finally add in the chicken along with all of the marinade to the pan. Mix through, lower the heat and let it simmer and cook for about 30-35 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick and the chicken has cooked through. Check for seasoning and add more salt if required.