This is a dish that is an adaptation on a traditional Kerala Indian Curried Chicken dish that 4 tiny but feisty nuns taught me how to prepare.
They used a whole chicken they broke down into pieces but cooked with bone and skin on. For time and ease of eating with a small child I use boneless chicken.
Gluten free, Dairy Free, and Kosher!
1 Lb Boneless, Skinless chicken cut into medium size pieces
2 medium yellow onions, sliced into very thing half moons (cut the ends off of the onion and slice in half so their is a flat surface and then slice very thin)
3 Tb garlic or 5 gloves
3 Tb fresh ginger cut into small pieces the same size as the garlic
Vegetable oil (I never use peanut oil)
1 Tb Red Chili Flakes - use less if you don't want the heat
1/4 cup curry powder - I use a mix that the nuns bring me but sense most people don't have their spices hand delivered to them I would recommend a specialty Indian grocery store or a good brand in store. Making your own is easy but time consuming.
1 can coconut milk
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Basmati rice
In a large skillet over medium heat add 2 Tb oil and the onions. It is a lot of onions but they cook down, become sweet and flavorful. This process takes about 10 minutes stirring often. Once translucent and soft add the garlic and ginger. Add a pinch of salt but most of the seasoning will happen towards the end. after 5-7 minutes push the onion mixture to the sides of the pan leaving a well. add 1-2 Tb oil to the center of the pan and then add the chicken. Brown the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. It does not need to be cooked through at this stage.
Remove everything from the pan into a bowl or plate. Put the pan back on medium heat and add 1 teaspoon oil to get hot. Add the curry into the oil, this toasts and brings out the maximum flavor of the spices. cook for 1-2 minutes and then add the red chili flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the onions and chicken back into the pan stirring to combine. Add the can of coconut milk and stir everything. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to simmer for 20 minutes. You don't want to dry out the chicken but with the amount of liquid in the pan it's very hard to. you want the spices and the coconut to meld together into a flavorful sauce. After it has simmered for a while take a spoon and taste the sauce. Does it need salt? More heat? adjust as needed. I tend to use a lot of salt because the coconut milk is bland, unsweetened and is the liquid but needs salt to bring out the spices and natural coconut flavor.
Serve with Rice.
This dish goes over surprisingly well. My brother, Andy who self proclaims a loathing of all things with onions devours this meal. Mags always eats seconds!
