Curry leaves are distinctly South Indian, but its use has spread across India, particularly on the West Coast of India. The leaves are very aromatic and not many South Indian dishes are complete without them. We use the leaves in two different processes while cooking - either adding it at the beginning of the cooking process to flavor the oil or cook with onions, or as a tadka / chaunk at the end of the cooking process to add the aromatic 'oomph' to the dish.
I have a curry tree in my backyard! I got it from a nursery in San Marcos couple years back and have been tending to it every week. Once my gardener decimated it, and it broke my heart. But it came back, and does produce some really flavorful leaves. Curry leaves are available in Indian grocery stores int eh frozen section, but they lose their flavor when frozen. I do not like them.
Ingredients
Chicken, about 4 lbs, cut to bite size pieces
2 Tsp salt
1 Red onion, diced small
1 head garlic, minced
1 inch Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 large Red Dry chilies
1 bunch Cilantro, leaves only
1 sprig of curry leaves, about 10/12 large leaves
1 Tbsp Coriander powder
1 Tsp Garam masala powder
2 Tbsp Shredded coconut
2 Tbsp plain yogurt, whipped
2 Tbsp Oil (any white oil, i.e. vegetable, corn, etc.)
Preparation
I have a curry tree in my backyard! I got it from a nursery in San Marcos couple years back and have been tending to it every week. Once my gardener decimated it, and it broke my heart. But it came back, and does produce some really flavorful leaves. Curry leaves are available in Indian grocery stores int eh frozen section, but they lose their flavor when frozen. I do not like them.
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| Curry-patta Chicken |
Chicken, about 4 lbs, cut to bite size pieces
2 Tsp salt
1 Red onion, diced small
1 head garlic, minced
1 inch Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 large Red Dry chilies
1 bunch Cilantro, leaves only
1 sprig of curry leaves, about 10/12 large leaves
1 Tbsp Coriander powder
1 Tsp Garam masala powder
2 Tbsp Shredded coconut
2 Tbsp plain yogurt, whipped
2 Tbsp Oil (any white oil, i.e. vegetable, corn, etc.)
Preparation
- Heat oil in a heavy pan. When hot, add cumin seeds and red chilies (torn up). Let the seeds sizzle and flavor the oil.
- Add onions, ginger, and garlic. Saute till the onions just about start to turn golden.
- Add curry leaves, cilantro, coriander powder, and garam masala. Saute well till the flavors have melded. You will know by the aroma of curry leaves.
- Add the chicken and salt. Start mixing the spices with the chicken to coat them well. Cook till the chicken is no longer pink. The oil should start leaving the masala.
- Add the shredded coconut and whipped yogurt. Mix well and saute for about a minute or two. The curry leaves and coconut aroma will make you happy!
- Pour about a cup or two of water, just enough to submerge the chicken. Put the cover on the pan and cook. I use a pressure cooker. It is very convenient and takes less than half the time to cook. 1 or 2 whistles, and we are done.
- When you open the lid, if it seems that there is too much gravy, just boil off a bit of the water to get the right consistency.
- Garnish with fried onions and cilantro sprigs.
I love this with some chapati or rice. It is very aromatic with the curry leaves and coconut. Now, this is a weeknight recipe, a very quick and easy one. Takes less than half hour to do. If you want a richer and heavier curry, you can use coconut milk instead of shredded coconut and water. You can do variations by adding different mixtures of dry masala, i.e. replace the coriander powder+garam masala with a mixture of your choice. Some folks may want to add a tadka at the end of fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, pepper corns, Urad / Toor daal and, of course, some more curry leaves.
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