Okay so I think a lot of us can agree that Indian food is some of the best food of all time. Maybe I'm bias because I've grown up eating it, but it's definitely one of the most popular foods out there! All the food throughout India is so flavorful! But when people in the US think of Indian food, they think of: chicken 65, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, any chicken curry really, naan, samosas...and I might be missing a few...but you get the point! Chicken curries are loved by many and there are so many ways to make them, but nearly any recipe you look at will have ingredients that many people who don't cook often will not have in their spice cabinets: garam masala, coriander powder, dried fenugreek leaves, cloves, cardamom, and so many more. I wanted to create a recipe with basic, accessible ingredients that will not require you to buy spices that you may or may not use often. This chicken curry can be made with things you already have at home so you don't have to go to the store to make it! And better yet, you don't have to put a dent in your wallet by buying food from an Indian restaurant every time you crave it because you can make it at home!
The spices I use in this recipe you should have on hand with maybe one exception but I recommend everyone have these basic spices:
Cumin (if you don't have, you might as well get it, almost any Asian recipes uses it and it is great on all meats, including steak!)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg (if you like pumpkin spice I am going to assume you already have this)
Black pepper
Paprika
Red chili flakes (if you got some packets from Pizza Hut or Dominoes that works too)
Also funny enough, pumpkin spice consists of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, which are all ingredients that are used in Indian food so you can easily use around 1-2 tbsp of that spice mixture if you have it and then add black pepper, paprika and red chili flakes! How easy is that?! And add cumin if you have it of course.
Now, I always assume everyone has these things at home because growing up my family would always have a freezer stocked with chicken thighs, garlic, ginger and onions. My advice to you: always keep some chicken in your freezer just so you have it for when you need it. It will not go bad! I also like keeping a huge thing of already peeled garlic in the freezer out of convenience sake. I know, I know, a huge faux pas in the cooking community, but look we gotta cook around our schedules sometimes! Ginger is also great to keep in the freezer and stays good for a long time.
Groceries that you may need if that doesn't apply to you though:
6 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
ginger (I used powdered because I didn't have fresh so feel free to use either)
garlic
onion
Now, this one thing is going to make some people mad, but I honestly have no idea how many people have turmeric at home. It is trending now, so maybe many of you do and if you do add 1/2 tsp of it along with all of the other spices! If not, you will be fine!
And if you're vegetarian simply use paneer! It will taste delicious! And if you're vegan, use tofu and vegan yogurt and butter.
Chicken Curry using spices you already have
Servings: 3-4| Prep time: 10 minutes| Total time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients
1 onion
6 garlic cloves
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger powder (or 1-inch ginger)
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ -3 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp salt (and more to taste)
1-2 tbsp canola oil
6 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or any yogurt you have on hand)
½ cup water
Directions
1. Blend or finely dice onion, garlic, and ginger (if using whole ginger).
2. Cut each chicken thigh into 6 pieces (around 1-inch cubes).
3. Heat pan/pot with butter to medium-high and add onion and garlic mixture. Mix occasionally and allow all water to evaporate.
4. Once garlic and onion mixture is browned, lower heat to medium and add all spices (including salt) to pan along with 1 tbsp canola oil. Mix continuously to prevent spices from burning for around 1 minute or until extremely fragrant.
5. Add chopped chicken and mix to ensure all chicken is coated thoroughly with spice mixture. Increase heat to high and do not mix for around 1 minute in order for chicken to brown (add additional tbsp canola oil if pan is dry).
6. Once chicken has browned (1-2 minutes), mix in 1 cup yogurt and ½ cup water, and reduce heat to medium-high.
7. Let chicken cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until sauce is thickened and you see a layer of oil separated from curry.
8. Serve hot with rice or naan and yogurt of course! ENJOY!
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