Chicken Coconut Curry with Garam Masala Spice Recipe

This recipe for chicken coconut curry is from my memory of my friend's mother, who made the best chicken curry recipe when she was visiting from Hong Kong. I had never really cared for curry before, but Mrs. Sun made such a delicious curry chicken with coconut milk and raisins that I've been trying to capture it ever since.

 I prefer to make my own homemade curry powder using real Indian spices (garam masala) instead of prepared curry spice. You can use prepared curry if you are in a hurry, but when it comes to garam masala, making your own spice mixture is an the best. The aroma is heavenly!

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INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken, quartered and cut into pieces (remove skin and fat if desired)

1/2 to 1 large onion, chopped fine

Vegetable broth

Ghee (clarified butter)*

Ghee is a solid fat that results after butter is melted down and the clear part is preserved. Ghee is readily available in Indian stores; however, it is easy to make your own clarified butter by placing 1/2 stick (2 ounces) butter in a microwave-safe Pyrex measuring cup and heating on high for 20 seconds. Pour off the clarified top of the liquid butter, and discard the solids at the bottom. Coconut oil can be used in place of ghee or clarified butter, if dairy intolerant. Either of these oils tolerate high heat without burning.

1 can coconut milk

1 cup raisins

Salt to taste.

Curry powder can be used in place of garam masala, or added for more taste

As an option, coconut curry chicken recipe can be prepared with added vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, and green bell pepper. Prepare the veggies and cook as with any stew or soup.

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Spices for Garam Masala Recipe:

Ingredients can be found in Indian stores or available from Amazon.com. I would choose the smallest package available so your spices don't get stale in between use (unless you plan to make this recipe often!)

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon green or black cardamom seeds (or a combination of both)
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 or 2 small dried red chiles, if desired (for a mild curry, exclude the chiles)

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INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the garam masala spices until fragrant, 2 minutes or so. Turn off heat and allow spices to cool for a minute. Have a clean spice grinder ready. (I have an electric coffee grinder that I ONLY use for spices.) Grind the spices to a fine powder. Store unused garam masala spice in a sealed container. In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, put a tablespoonful of ghee/clarified butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat.

Buy spice grinder at Amazon.com

Add the garam masala spice, all or part as desired, to the oil and stir. Immediately add the chopped onion and stir well. Allow the onion to soften and brown slightly as you continue to stir it.  Add the chicken pieces to the pot and stir quickly to coat with spices.

Continue to mix the chicken with the onion and spices until chicken is just a little browned. Pour the vegetable broth to cover the chicken. Add the raisins.

Bring the broth just to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow the chicken to cook until done but still tender, about 25 minutes. Don't let the chicken continue to boil or the meat can become tough. Reduce heat to low and add coconut milk. Cook for a few minutes more. Do not allow coconut milk to boil. 

Serve over rice or by itself as a soup.

6-8 servings

How to Cut Up a Chicken (Video)

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