Chicken curry for the hungry soul

Childhood years can be vexing. Spats with friends, pop quizzes, and hours of dance practices can consume a little girl’s world. However, whether it was a good or bad day, I can’t recall a single time my mother didn’t have a steaming plate of freshly made Indian food waiting for us at night.

The vegetables, meats, and spices she used were not her only ingredients. Each meal was artfully interlaced with culture, history, and love. The dishes we ate everyday were not only meant to satisfy my family’s palate but to link us to our past. Although I didn't realize it growing up, I am now so grateful my mother kept me in touch with a major aspect of my Indian heritage: the food.

After moving to Boston, I miss the familiar waft of Indian aromas hitting me as I walk inside my mom’s home. And after realizing the necessity to eat healthy over the past few years, I have faced an internal struggle between cooking what I know and cooking what I should. Then it struck me: Why not find a way to combine the richness of Indian food with the typical blandness of many health-conscious dishes?

So here goes my first healthy re-vamp of one of my mom’s feature dishes: a traditional Indian chicken curry.

Semi-Traditional Chicken Curry

Ingredients (Feeds 2...or a hungry 1)
4 tablespoons of minced garlic
4 tablespoons of ginger paste
4 fillets of boneless chicken breast
4 tablespoons of garam masala
3/4 tablespoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of chili powder (add more if you love extra spicy food!)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of shahjeera
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste
Water for cooking

Directions
Day 1:
1) Mix one tablespoon of coconut oil, two tablespoons of minced garlic, and two tablespoons of ginger paste in a large plastic container.
2) Cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces and add them to bowl. Make sure the marinade completely covers all pieces of chicken.
3) Close the lid and allow the chicken to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Day 2:
1) Preheat your oven to 350° F.
2) Put parchment paper on a baking dish, and lay out the pieces of chicken. Allow chicken to bake for 25-30 minutes.
3) Heat three tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium-sized skillet on medium heat.
4) Add shahjeera, two tablespoons of minced garlic, two tablespoons of ginger paste, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder (remember to add more if you can handle the spicy!), black pepper, tomatoes, salt (to taste), and 1/4 cup of water (if you believe the sauce is too dry, add more). Keep stirring all the spices together as you add each ingredient. Allow the tomatoes to cook until tender.
5) Mix in the baked chicken and make sure it is completely immersed in the gravy.
6) Cover the dish, bring the skillet to low heat, and let the ingredients simmer for about 5 minutes.
7) Serve in a bowl with a side of your choice (see note below) and enjoy!

Notes

• Traditionally, the curry is eaten with basmati rice or roti (a leavened bread), but I suggest eating it with brown rice, quinoa, or by itself.
• Many of the listed Indian spices can be found at your local Indian grocery store or Whole Foods. 

My Review

Honestly, nothing beats my mom’s chicken curry. But this is the most delicious option when it comes to re-creating a traditional Indian chicken curry in a healthy way. Simply using a healthier cooking oil (coconut oil) and baking the chicken rather than frying it can make a big difference with minimal impact to the flavors. On a cold Boston night, chicken curry can be the perfect comfort food to keep you warm—and my recipe won’t make you loosen any belt notches!