Arati's Chicken Curry

Tracking down family recipes isn't easy. The mothers who made the meals famous learned from their mother or mother-in-law over the course of many years of coaching and supervision, so that the technique becomes part of her DNA long before it's ever written down. Perhaps this is part of what makes "home food" so awesome, as it's about about the people and the place as much as the recipe. Try as we may to recreate it on the other side of the world, it's not always easy to replicate.

One morning, before the rest of the family was up and moving, I camped out in my mother-in-law's kitchen while she cooked the day's basic chicken curry - the same chicken curry she's prepared for lunch each day for the past 31 years - and wrote down her every step.

Arati's Chicken Curry

vegetable oil

4 onions, diced

5 cloves garlic

1-inch of ginger root

1 whole chicken, skinned and cut into bite size pieces (with bones)

5 dried red chillies (not the spicy type)

1 diced tomato

1-2 tbs yoghurt

3 tsp coriander powder 
1.5 tsp red chili powder (or more, to taste)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 heaping tbs ghee (clarified butter) (optional)

fresh cilantro

masala combo:

1/2 tbs cumin

3 small cardamoms

4 cloves

1 full star anise

1 big black cardamom

2 bay leaves

1. In 3 tbs oil, brown onions with garlic, ginger and red chillies. While the onions are browning, rinse the chicken pieces and set aside.

2. When the onions have browned, transfer to a blender or food processor.

3. In the now-empty pan, add the masala combo and let cook (add a little more oil if necessary) for about 30 seconds, then add the chicken pieces and 2 tbs water.

4. While the chicken pieces are cooking (not browning), add the tomato and yoghurt to the onions and puree. You may need to add a little water to get the desired consistency.

5. After the chicken has cooked for 5 minutes, add the onion puree to the pan and stir to coat the chicken.

6. Add the corriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric, salt (to taste)  and ghee to the pan, then cover and let the sauce cook on low heat until the oil separates (15-30 min) or chicken is cooked through (the oil usually separates at about the same time as the chicken is cooked).

7. When the chicken is cooked, add water to the pan until the curry reaches your desired consistency. (use 1/2 cup for a thick sauce and 1.5 cups for a thin sauce)

8. add 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, let simmer for another 5 minutes. Check the spices (especially the salt), and serve with rotis, naan or basmati rice.

Notes:

- for a good kick, fry diced green chillies in oil and add to the curry just before serving.

- to create a richer sauce for a more formal occasion, puree 4 or 5 cashews and/or fresh mint with the onions.