RECIPES: Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry

Spice.

This word reminds me of three things, Spain, India and the famous all girl British pop act, the Spice Girls. 

(grabbed from Google)

(grabbed from Google)

No, seriously. I was also once a fan of these girls clad in flimsy dresses and towering heels. They are well known for the cheeky acts and the different persona they portray as they belt out about Girl Power. Who hasn't heard of this girl act? They must be one of the most famous music act in the world (after The Beatles and The Backstreet Boys), Sporty Spice (my first favorite tomboy), Baby Spice (the cute one), Scary Spice (I'm not sure why she's branded as "scary". Is it coz she's always clad in leopard or big cat prints? For me, she has the most beautiful face of the five), Posh Spice (the ever chic and elite, now my favorite) and Ginger Spice (the cheekiest redhead of them all)...all five of them make up one empowering girl group. Different personalities combined makes the Spice Girls one interesting music act.

This is just the same with food. We incorporate different tastes, aromas, spices and textures to make one delectable dish. When we say spice, often, chili is what pops to mind, ain't it? Of course it is. But little do we know, there are a whole lot more when it comes to varieties of spices. There's hundreds of them, and most of them are usually, if not always present, used in Spanish and Indian dishes. So, yes, let's talk about Indian dishes. Their dishes are always loaded with spices and I suppose they don't have a tongue for bland or light dishes. Brimming with strong flavours and aroma, Indian dishes make for one of the most flavorful food in the world, and the most famous of them would be Curry.

A common curry dish we Filipinos make is none other than Chicken Curry. Some like it green, some like it yellow. Whichever color it is, they both taste wonderfully aromatic.  But did you know that our love for this dish came not directly from our Indian brothers? Yes, it was handed done to us from our Hispanic colonizers. In their search for spices all over the world, the Spaniards came upon India and discovered the strong flavor it gives to dishes. This discovery was then brought to the melting pot of Asia, the Philippines. The Spaniards first brought the spice to the Philippines long before the Indians were able to barter or trade the said spice to our country for a living.

What makes a curry dish special? It is the blend of various spices, vegetables, coconut milk and meat combined into one flavourful viand. Just like the Spice Girls, it's a medley of different characteristics/flavors. What I love most about it is how the coconut milk gives it a creamy texture and a hint of sweetness from the carrots. But of course, since my dear husband's tummy is sensitive to coconut milk, I often resort to the commercialized coconut milk in powder form. There are several versions of Chicken Curry, this one that I'll share with you is what my boys love the most (ahem!)  I like my chicken curry a little hot, but since I have little boys, I omit the chili flakes from the dish and just add it to my own fish sauce for condiments. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small ginger, julienned (ginger is optional)
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
1/4 kilo potato marbles, peeled and halved
5pcs (1/2 kilo) chicken breast fillet, cut up and washed
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp curry powder (can use commercialized or pure curry powder)
1 cup fresh coconut milk OR 1 packet of coconut milk powder
1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
Chili flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat.

2. Add carrots and potato marbles. Give it a good stir until vegetables are subtly browned on the edges. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.

3. In the same wok or skillet, saute garlic and onion (and ginger) until soft.

4. Add the chicken and cook until browned or until juices run clear.

5. Add curry powder, coconut milk and chicken stock. If using commercialized coconut milk powder, dissolve coconut milk powder and curry powder first in chicken stock. Make sure all lumps are dissolved before adding to wok.

6. Stir gently, cover and let simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the chicken cooks thoroughly and does not stick to the pan.

7. Add carrots, potatoes and bell pepper. Add fish sauce to taste, if desired. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

8. Remove from heat and serve hot with steaming rice. (If desired, fish sauce with red chili works best as a condiment for this dish for those who loves to have more spice.)

Spice up your life :)