Sometimes I like to improvise when I cook. I’ll get into a mood where I don’t like reading recipes, and I’ll just try to make something myself. I am a big fan of trying to master flavor principles before I master recipes. If I know the approximate spice combination for something, then I can apply it to anything without consulting a book. The important flavors in curry, I have found, are: garlic/ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander. Those are the base flavors and from there you can build and adjust to get something close to a curry. The next step is understanding process. In the curry recipes I have, the spices are mixed into a paste and fried. Then the meat is usually added and fried, then a liquid is added. Last night I decided that I would make up a recipe, using these flavors and processes. So, here is my mock curry!
Mock Curry
Spice mix:
1 tsp ginger powder or fresh ginger
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
spice mix for potatoes:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cayenne
Other spices:
1 bay leaf
1 cardamom pod
2 tsps paprika
Ingredients:
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 500 grams of chicken), cubed into bite sized pieces
1 can of tomatoes with juice
1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wide skillet. Fry spice mix for a minute, stirring constantly; don’t let it burn!
2. Toss chicken in and cook until chicken is no longer pink on the outside. Cook for about five minutes and try to get chicken to brown just a little.
3. Throw in can of tomatoes, bay leaf, paprika, and cardamom pod. Bring to a bubble, then turn down to low and put a lid on.
4. In another skillet, fry cumin seeds in oil for 30 seconds, then add the potatoes. Stir constantly for about a minute, then add the rest of the spices for the potatoes.
5. Cook potatoes until they are slightly crispy on the outside, then add to the chicken. Cover and steam for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Remember to fish out the bay leaf and cardamom pod.
You could serve this with rice, but I enjoyed it by itself.
