To say that we like chicken curry is an understatement. We love curry to the max! Whenever we travel, whatever country that may be - the first restaurant we always try to look for is an Indian curry house.
Before I got married, I wasn't a major fan of anything spicy. In the region (Southern Tagalog) where I grew up, spicy dishes are not really a big thing. We usually love sweet, sour and salty but spicy, not too much. But then I met my British husband who is into everything spicy. I was converted by him. He loves chicken curry. When we were still in England we used to visit Brick Lane in East London for some curry therapy. If you are ever in London, this is the place to go if you want to get curry. There are rows upon rows of curry houses there. I miss this place!
However there is one special curry place for us and, no, it's not in India or the UK or even the USA (truth is, there is no Indian restaurant where I live). Sad, isn't it. We found it, of all places, in Vietnam! While it may take years before we go back and eat there again, we have fond memories of Vietnam and most certainly the curry we had there. Here's a photo of myself in front of the restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. It's not much to look at but the curry is great, if you are able to wake up its owner to cook for you! Seriously, it was great and the best we have tasted! Check this out when you find yourself in the streets of Saigon.
And for good measure, here's another photo of me and my hubby in Vietnam. Photo was taken while we were cruising the Mekong Delta. Happy Memories!
Before I get any more sidetracked, here's one of our favorite curry dish - Indian Butter Chicken. This is a mild curry so feel free to up the heat to your desired spice level. Enjoy!
Ingredients
5 pieces Roma or plum tomatoes - or 2 (14oz/410gr) cans of diced tomatoes (fresh is better though!)
2 Tablespoons oil and 5 Tablespoons Butter
2.2 pounds (1 kilo) skinless but bone-in chicken thighs (boneless are fine but they tend to fall apart)
Thumb-size peeled and chopped fresh ginger or 1 tsp of ground ginger
3 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoon each red Curry powder, ground Cumin and ground Paprika
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ - 2 tsp salt, or to taste
¼ - ½ cup of plain Yogurt (you can use heavy cream, if you prefer)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (a must for me!)
Procedure
If using fresh tomatoes, cut-up the tomatoes and then place in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth (puree the canned tomatoes too, if using this instead). In a deep pan, heat the oil and butter on medium to low heat until the butter melts. Stir in the spices, and let sizzle briefly, for a minute or less. Add the salt and brown sugar and stir until combined. Immediately, add the chicken pieces and coat them with the spices.
Mix in the pureed tomatoes. Though the mixture may seem thick at this point, it will thin out as it simmers. Bring to a quick boil and then cover the pan and gently simmer for about an hour or until the chicken is tender, occasionally stirring it. It is done when the chicken is tender and the sauce is medium-thick. It is already good and yummy at this point but if you like a creamier sauce, add plain yogurt or heavy cream and then squeeze some fresh lemon juice, to taste. Cook a little further without boiling just until the cream is heated. Garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves. Serve hot with freshly steamed rice (basmati or jasmine are the best for this!) and some green veggies on the side. Curry heaven!
Looks great! I'm definitely trying this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by! Hope you like it as we have enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to try this! I loooove butter chicken!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Alyssa!
ReplyDeleteI really like this and am going to try it in a slow cooker this week. I've seen other Butter Chicken recipes but I like this one the best just by glancing at it.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, thanks for dropping by! When you try it, do use fresh tomatoes, they make a big difference in terms of color, texture and, of course, flavor. I hope you like it. Let us know.
ReplyDeleteIt was delicious! I didn't have enough fresh tomatoes to do it all with fresh but next time I will! I added a bit of coconut milk that I had left over from a previous meal. As soon as my husband took a bite he said, "Yeah, you can make this again!" I put it all in the crock pot and it was amazing. Next time I will do it on the weekend so I can make it all on the stove top.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! So kind of you to return and give a feedback. Am so happy that you and your hubby enjoyed it! Comment such as this inspire me to continue sharing recipes. You made my day! Have a great weekend. Thank you so much again!
ReplyDeleteDid you use yogurt and/or cream in the batch of curry that is in the photos?
ReplyDeleteJust Yogurt and some lemon juice.
DeleteMaking this tomorrow when my dad gets back in town! So excited ^.^
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope you both like it! Thanks for stopping by, Brittany!
Deletei tried this recipe and it is so good i just forgot to adjust the seasoning at the end but overall it is so easy to make
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and letting us know! Glad you like it!
DeleteWow! What a yummy food is this. I do really want to try this butter chicken in your prestigious restaurants. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Haidie! Do try it, am sure you'll love it!
Delete2 teaspoons red curry powder - wouldn't that be hot?
ReplyDeleteCould I go to the Indian grocery store and get their red curry powder? Or is that a different pepper?
Hi Jeanine! You can use a mild curry powder, I don't think it's too hot - at least for me - it's pretty mild, really.
DeleteYummo my kids and i are huge fans of butter chicken and love it with home made roti. Usually use a premade sauce but havnt really found one we love. Am gna try cooking this tonight will put up feed back with results :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Charmed. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
DeleteSo deliciously wonderful! I have made it twice this week. curry nirvana. I was surprised how easy it was to make. I did add some fresh Türkish yogurt at the end because I had it on hand. The lemon and cilantro were a great addition. This was even better than our local Indian restaurant. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI had Indian Butter Chicken and thought it was the most wonderful dish ever. After reading your recipe, I must try to make it. I would have thought the recipe to be so much more involved! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteOh it's not that complicated and many who have tried this have loved the recipe. Hope you get to enjoy it, too. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteParang Chicken Tikka Masala
ReplyDeleteI was at a Diwali celebration on sunday and had this for the first time, and I was searching pinterest for a recipe. Most call for onions and what I had, had no onions in it. (my hubby has an allergy to onions. He loves them, but they make him throw up) I was pleased to see yours does not have onions and I am going to try it, as soon as I can find where to buy curry. thanks so much for posting this.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Please enjoy! This has become one of our favorite recipes for sure.
DeleteCan i skip brown sugar.....
ReplyDeleteIt is a matter of taste so you certainly can if you wish, too. Thanks for asking.
DeleteI love this recipe. One of my favorites. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteSimon
I am glad you like it. Thanks, Bristol!
DeleteMade this for two of my best friends - we were speachless :) Yummmmmm!! And my daughter got lhe leftovers, she wants more :) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI made this for two of my best friends last night - what a success!!! Thank you :) It was amasingly good, wery good, totaly breathtaking good - it will be one of my familyfavorites!!
ReplyDeleteCan you substitute chicken breasts for the thighs? We are not fans of thighs. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes, you can use breasts instead but adjust the cooking time accordingly as breasts cook faster than thighs. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteHi Abby! Just saw this on FB. Definitely want to try this. Miss you!
ReplyDeleteI can't find red curry powder anywhere.
ReplyDeleteYou can use curry paste, too but just adjust to taste as some paste are spicier than the powder. Red curry powder may be found in the Asian section of your grocery or at any Asian stores - some may not be totally red but more dark orange but is still called red as opposed to the "yellow" curry. McCormick certainly carries red curry powder and should be available in your local grocery. :)
DeleteThose seasonings sound good!
ReplyDeleteThe curry sauce sounds so good--and simple! Will give this a try.
ReplyDelete