Amachee's Chicken Curry

Dating a British person gives you a whole new perspective on curry. For a long time, I thought I was "not that into" Indian food. Now, I happily eat my words on a regular basis. Chicken curry is downright easy, comforting, and delicious. It cooks in one pot, it tastes awesome the next day, and the day after that, and it just so happens that it reminds me a whole lot of this super cute astrophysicist who I happen to live with.

Curry has been a slow but rewarding discovery for me. I grew up in Portland, Oregon--before Portlandia, before the food trucks. Okay, there was maybe a bento guy. Actually there were like three bento guys. But what I'm saying is, my mom is a WASP. In the best possible way. In the chicken-and-broccoli-casserole, homemade-triple-layer-chocolate-cake, let's-put-butter-on-everything kind of way.

Anyway, dating a British guy was step one. Doing a lot of online ordering of Patak's curry paste was step two. Figuring out that curry paste is kind of cheating was step three. Stocking up on spices and a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook was step four. At that point, you're ready for action.

I've gone through a lot of chicken curry recipes, and I have to say, I don't have one magnificent chicken curry to end all chicken curries. It really depends on your mood. Do you want something bright yellow and gingery? Go for an anglo recipe. Do you want something packed with fiery spices and tomato? Madras. Creamy and comforting? Korma. There are so many variations. But the beautiful thing is, once you actually start combining your own spices, you figure out what you like. For instance, cumin seeds. My ancestors came to America onboard the Mayflower, and I stinking love cumin seeds.

Okay, maybe I'm not the first colonist to fall in love with curry. Let's focus on what's important here. Namely, the curry.

One of my favorite families in Palo Alto was kind enough to share this recipe with me. Amachee means grandmother, and this is in fact their grandmother's recipe. I've made a few tweaks to it, in that I personally prefer thighs to a whole cut-up chicken, and I feel strongly that curry should cook in one pot. Apparently Amachee likes to sauté her onions separately. Is there a special layer of hell for people who mess with other people's grandmother's recipes? I hope not. Because I seriously love this chicken curry.

Amachee’s Chicken Curry

Serve with steamed basmati rice, a dollop of yogurt, and peas. I physically cannot eat a chicken curry without peas alongside. They're made for each other. 

Canola oil

1 onion, chopped 

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2½ teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6–8 thighs), cut into bite-size pieces

2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice

2 tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon jam (optional)

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion and sauté until it starts to soften. Add the ginger, garlic, and all of the spices, and sauté for a minute or two longer. 

Add the chicken pieces, and turn to coat with the spice mixture. Sprinkle with the salt. Let the chicken brown on one side, stir once, and let it brown again. 

Pour in the vinegar, tomato paste, jam (if using), and ¼ cup water and stir to combine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape gently to dislodge any brown bits sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.