Chicken Curry Masala

Ever since a trip to India about five years ago, I have been a HUGE fan of Indian cooking. I ate Indian food three meals a day for six weeks, and I never got tired of it. In fact, when I came back to the States, I think I went into Indian-food withdrawal. Since then, I try to eat this delicious cuisine out as regularly as possible.

But, on a budget, going out to restaurants all the time just isn't feasible. If you want the dish, you've got to recreate it at home. Unfortunately, my past attempts at Indian food haven't gone over so well. For example, I bought a biryani paste once from the local supermarket and my dish came out inedible...

However, my new Canadian supermarket has a large selection of ethnic foods, especially Indian. I noticed tons of spice mixes for all my favorite dishes, and the Chicken Curry Masala mix caught my eye. Time to give home-cooked Indian another spin!

First, chop 1 onion and saute in oil until golden.

Next, add 2 chopped tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder (bought separately) and stir. Next, add one heaping tablespoon of the Chicken Curry Masala mix (the brand is MDH), and salt to taste. I also sprinkled some red pepper flakes and paprika in because I like my Indian super spicy. After stir frying this combination for 2-3 minutes, add chicken (my recipe called for a cut, whole chicken, but I opted for boneless chicken breasts instead). Cook for about 10 minutes.

Now, here's the key ingredient that thickened my sauce and really changed the whole dish:

Plain yogurt! I did not add yogurt to my previous curry attempts, and the result is a thin sauce that lacks the richness of Indian dishes. Yogurt is crucial. Add about half a container along with 1/4 cup of water and mix. Reduce stove to low heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

And serve over steamed rice:

I was so pleased with how this dish came out and proceeded to eat it for the next 3 days in a row. The Chicken Curry Masala mix was a lifesaver, and produced the most authentic Indian dish I've ever made. The mix is a real money saver too, because otherwise you'd need to buy about 20 different spices to recreate the combination. I'm already excited to make this dish again, as well as try some of the other MDH mixes. I'll keep you posted :)

--R