Monday, February 28, 2011

Exotic Eats: Green Curry (Indian)


There's no reason why a Jew shouldn't be good at cooking Indian food. I mean, after all, our ethnicities are very, very similar. We both have lots of doctors and accountants. We're both cheap (or so most of my Indian friends tell me). We both love unleavened bread (Matzo and Chapati). We even have great sauces--tahini and raita. So yes, our ethnicities definitely travel along the same roads...well, except for our actual food.

Indian food is probably my favorite ethnic food out there--exotic spices, incredible flavors and plenty of incredible accompaniments make it an absolute joy to eat. Today's dish--green curry--is truly a superb one. Since I'm not Indian, I had to look elsewhere for a recipe. Enter NuM NuM, an awesome blog with even better recipes. It had everything I was looking for: mint, cilantro, ginger, and a bevy of spices to go with it. I'll copy/paste the recipe below...I used more Greek yogurt than was advised, and it gave the sauce a creamier texture. Regardless, it was delicious. I served it over rice and with a side of chapati (Naan's lighter, wheatier brother).

(Note: For some of the ingredients (like the garam masala), you may have to go to an Indian grocery store. I also usually get my mint from them too, since they sell it in larger quantities than a grocery store)

Green Chicken Curry
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
- 1 bunch fresh mint, leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium), plus 1 1/4 cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 lb)
- 1/4 cup Chobani Greek plain fat free yogurt
- Cooked basmati rice or warm naan bread, for serving

  1. Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and pepper, to taste, to a food processor or blender. Puree on high until smooth. With the processor running, add about 1/4 cup broth, and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste, a.k.a. “masala”. Set aside.
  2. In a large pot or deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown.
  3. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.
  4. Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so that the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add about 1 1/4 cups broth, just enough to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and serve over rice or with warm naan (or chapati) bread.


1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sir, I am going to attempt to cook this. It will probably be a catastrophe, as I can't really even cook ramen, but I will try. I'll let ya know how it goes. :P

Post a Comment