My dear friend, who travels the world for her work, brings me back cookbooks from every exotic place she visits. A cookbook she brought back from India is simply titled COMPLETE INDIAN COOKING. I’m not sure who the author is since there is no name anywhere in the book with the exception of a fine print mention of home economist Sunil Vijayakar. I found the recipes in this book to be very authentic and extremely delicious. I have cooked almost everything out of this book at one time or another and the Bangalore Chicken Curry is my favorite.
When I was catering, I prepared a book club dinner in which the members of the club were reviewing the book A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. The book is an epic tale of an Indian woman’s life from her early years to old age and the full circle she traveled. Much of the book was about the food they ate which became the focus of the book club dinner. I made everything from pass around appetizers to a 5 course dinner including dessert. I made this Bangalore Chicken Curry served over Saffron Coconut Rice for the entree and it was a huge hit. As a result of the deliciousness of the Chicken Curry, several customers requested the dish for their catered events.
I hadn’t made this dish for quite a while until last night. I had a yearning desire to make dinner just a little different from the norm and making this dish jogged my memory of the love I have for the cookbook.
Of course I couldn’t leave well enough alone (I never can) since changing recipes to suite my taste and that of others is most common for me. The original recipe is a good base but it lacked a bit of punch so I improvised and came up with this rendition. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did last night. (Notice I served it with carrots as a side. I love the pop of color on the plate.)
To compliment the curry, I served a variety of condiments. Chutney is a key element and great companion for curry dishes and, since I live in the land of mangos, I always have a jar of homemade mango chutney in my refrigerator. There are many great chutneys at the grocery; you will not have any trouble finding a good one.
Serves 4
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
1 Small Bunch Cilantro, Chopped
2 Fresh Serrano Chilies, Seeded (Use more if you are a HOT FOOD fan)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Small Sweet Onions, Thinly Sliced
6 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
4 6-Ounce Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Homemade Chicken Stock or Canned Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Saffron Coconut Rice (Recipe Follows)
Flour for Dredging Chicken
Cilantro Leaves, Toasted Coconut, Mango Chutney, Golden Raisins for Garnish
In the food processor fitted with the steel blade, make a paste with the cumin, coriander, curry, cilantro, chilies and lemon juice. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Sprinkle the chicken breast with a bit of course sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the chicken into the flour and sauté in oil until nicely browned on both sides. (You want the chicken almost cooked but not quite.) Remove the chicken from the pan and add onion and garlic and sauté for three minutes. Add peppers and paste and sauté for a few more minutes. Add chicken stock and reduce by half. Add coconut milk and reduce again until slightly thickened. Add the rest of the salt and pepper.
Cut chicken breasts into large pieces and add to sauce to finish cooking the chicken. Serve over coconut saffron rice.
For Rice
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil.
½ Teaspoon Saffron Threads
1 Small Sweet Onion Finely Chopped
1 Cup Basmati Rice, Rinsed To Remove Excess Starch
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ Cup Shredded Coconut
2 Cups Homemade Chicken Stock or Canned Low Sodium Chicken Stock, Heated Until Just Boiling
2 Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 425°.
In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil. Add onion and saffron. Sautee gently until onion is translucent. Add rice, coconut and ground cloves and sauté 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add the hot stock, salt and pepper. Stir and cover with a tight fitting lid. Transfer to preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.