Ginger Chicken

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I have been making Indian dishes since I received my Garam Masala spice mix from my friend Mara. It was on my wish list in terms of spices that I desperately needed and now that I have quite a bit of it, I am very excited to cook Indian-inspired dishes that I used to love and still do. For Sunday lunch this weekend, I thought a curry dish was the perfect meal to start out my Indian-inspired culinary odyssey.I actually wanted to try out this dish for the second time after making it a few days ago while away at work. In the comfort of my kitchen at home, I was able to correctly season the dish since I had my complete stash of spices on hand. It was definitely a vast improvement from an already great tasting dish when I first made it to something even more spectacular. I did concede on one important ingredient due to its unavailability. Plain yogurt was not available in large buckets so I had to settle for a small one which I used to sour my heavy cream. Still, it ended up just like how I wanted it. 

Ginger Chicken - Adapted*

2 lbs chicken breast, quartered
7 oz yogurt
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp grated garlic
2 tbsp coriander seeds, ground
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder**
4 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup broth
cilantro to garnish

1. In a small bowl, combine the cream with the yogurt. Add the freshly grated
    ginger and garlic, together with the powdered cumin, chili and coriander. 
    Mix well and set aside.

2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Brown in a large pan 
    preheated over medium high heat in the vegetable oil. 

3. Once the chicken pieces are browned, lower the heat to low and add the 
    broth with the yogurt mix. 

4. Allow the curry to simmer until the chicken pieces have cooked and the oil 
    starts to separate from the creamy base. This will take about 15-20 
    minutes.

5. Check for flavor and adjust accordingly. Garnish with fresh cilantro and
    serve with steamed basmati rice. 

*Vijayakar, Sunil: 30 Minute Indian, Laurel Glen Publishing, California: 2000. 

** If you are accustomed to heat, use the Chinese or Korean brand of chili powder. However, since I'm serving this to kids as well, I used the American chili powder mix which gives off a wonderful aroma and color with just a mild hint of heat.