Saturday, January 31, 2009

How to Cook the Perfect Chicken Curry

By KC Kudra

Chicken curry, or curry chicken, is a much-loved dish all over the world and is a great way to use boneless chicken. There are lots of different kinds of chicken curry dishes including Indian curry, Thai curry, Chinese curry and more. Curry can be a lot of fun to experiment with and you can vary the balance of spices or try different spices. You can use different meats or vegetables or add fruit and nuts if you want.

Types of Curries

In India, a curry is a meal with a soup-like consistency. It is made with spices, chickpea flour, clarified butter, and yogurt. The word curry, when used in Thailand, means vegetables, fish, or meat cooked in a spiced sauce.

Different regions have different main curry ingredients. Malaysian curry for example usually has coconut milk as well as bay leaves. Punjabi curry involves wheat instead of rice and includes plenty of cream and butter. Tamil curry is a combination of shallow fried meat and vegetables cooked with dry spices.

Some curry powder mixtures have turmeric in them and it is this which gives curry its distinctive yellow coloring. Ginger, tamarind, coriander, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, garlic, cumin, nutmeg, and chilies are also used a lot in curry recipes. Curries frequently come in red, green, or yellow variations. A red curry is made from red chilies, a green curry is made from green chilies, and a yellow curry is made mainly with cumin and turmeric but might also have pepper flakes or hot pepper in it.

A boneless chicken curry might be described as hot and spicy, fragrant or fruity, depending on the ingredients and spices used. So how do you go about making a delicious curry out of some boneless chicken, some vegetables, and some spices?

Tips for Cooking Chicken Curry

You should always try to use authentic curry spices rather than a readymade paste or powder. It is easy to find chicken curry ingredients in Asian grocery stores or large general stores.

Do not be afraid to experiment with your curries. Curry has a long history of experimentation and variation. Some of the spices might be unavailable so it is a good idea to become familiar with the flavors and aromas of curry spices to see which ones can be substituted for others. You might be following a chicken tikka masala recipe but feel free to make small changes and see what happens.

Rice is often served with curry but you might like to try serving an Indian bread such as roti or naan instead or a spiced potato recipe. You can also make a dry spicy coating for a boneless chicken breast rather than making a curry sauce. Then you can eat the chicken in a packed lunch or at a picnic. This type of versatility as well as the wonderful flavors is what makes curry dishes as well loved as they are and it is certainly no surprise that curry is such a popular dish all over the world. - 16650

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