Its even better the day after

We had our friends over last night for a Curry. He served in the same mission as me about 5 years before, so he knows his way around a good curry and we wanted to treat them. I modified a recipe found in Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking book and it was brilliant. A bit spicy so you may want to reduce the cayenne but it was nice. Here is how it happened.

First I do all the prep work before I start cooking. There is nothing worse than starting to fry a curry and scurrying around trying to find and or grind a spice on the spot while your onions burn. So I am going to break this into sections so you don't have to think about how to break it up. Here is the recipe so you can make sure you have everything. The staged directions follow with my additions to make this curry superb.

3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 inch piece cinnamon stick
3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
2 medium-sized onions, cut into fine rings
4-5 cloves garlic, cut into fine slivers
1 teaspoon peeled, very finely grated fresh ginger
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 14 oz can of coconut milk
2 fresh, hot green chilies, split in half lengthwise

First put the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and peppercorns in a pan (preferably cast iron) and dry roast them over medium high heat until they just start to brown. They will let off a sweet smokey aroma that is amazing in this curry. Let them cool slightly and then grind them in a coffee grinder or mortal and pestle or what ever grinding apparatus you have. We bought a cheap coffee grinder for this. It makes us feel slightly apostate but we hide it in the cupboard.

Put those spices in a small ramekin or dish.

Next put the Mustard seeds and cinnamon stick in another small dish.

The original recipe called for bone in chicken so if you are using that then just skin it and prep it. We used boneless and used about 2 and half pounds of to accommodate for lack of bones. If you use boneless then cut the chicken into cubes and set aside.

Dice up the onions and garlic and put them in a bowl together.

Cut the tomatoes and grate or mince the ginger and put them in a bowl together.

Now put the Turmeric, Cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Remember to reduce the Cayenne if you want it milder.

You can measure out the lemon juice before hand if you want, I did.

Open the can of coconut milk and skim the cream off the top and put it in a bowl. The brand we buy is made in like Thailand and is about 1/3 cream so it is awesome. You are trying to get the cream and the watery milk separated. I then poured the milk into a bowl and filled the can up with water. You can do this when you add it later but I wanted everything prepared.

Split the chillies and set aside ( I omitted these due to the heat I was getting already without them, unless you like it scoarching hot I would leave them out, they go in at the end and add a minor note to the dish.)

Now that all the prep work is done it is time to start cooking. Add the oil to a good heavy bottom pan and heat on medium high. Once the oil is hot add the Mustard seeds and the cinnamon stick. Fry these until the mustard seeds start popping. It only takes a few seconds, then put in the chicken. Make sure the chicken is fairly dry or the oil will turn watery. Brown all the chicken in the oil stirring it to coat it with the mustard seeds. Then remove the chicken to a bowl to rest. In the same oil add the garlic and onions and cook until they are light brown. Now add the tomato and ginger and cook until the tomato is soft. Turn the heat down a touch and add all the spices and the lemon juice. Stir fry this for a minute or so and bask in the aroma. Then add the chicken back into the pot and stir fry it until it is good a coated in the spices and onions.

Now add the coconut milk (not the cream) and about a half can of water from the coconut milk can. I did a full can and it was too watery since I am going to add more liquid in a second. Let that come to a simmer and cover and cook about 10 minutes.

Here is my tasty divergence. Add about a 1/3 cup of cream and three big dollops of yogurt to the mixture. Then I threw in about 1/2 cup of golden raisins; these are much different from normal ones, and can not be substituted by said black raisins. Stir this in and let simmer until the chicken is done and the curry is thicker than gravy. Add the coconut cream at the end and stir in for about a minute. Remove from heat and enjoy over basmati rice.

This curry was a little hot but awesome and then next day it was even better. The raisins give it a little sweetness and the cream and yogurt tempered the heat and added a creamy texture to it. Definitely worth the effort.