Chicken Curry, Madras Style

This very flavorful chicken dish is simple to prepare and can be made in advance and reheated. Leftovers are so desirable that you should consider making extra for that purpose. The dish is based on a chicken curry recipe I found in Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet by the glamourous Padma Lakshmi. I didn't have the pipali peppercorns and tamarind pulp Ms. Lakshmi used so I made the dish without them. I also added a bunch of sliced carrots. Serve with plain basmati rice and a chutney. Spicy Apple-Pear Chutney (10/15/09 post) works well.

1/4 cup sesame oil

5 garlic cloves

2 cups sliced shallots

1 tablespoon pipali peppercorns or black peppercorns

3 black cardomom pods

2 1/2 tbl. minced fresh ginger

5 hot, dried chilis

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 chicken (3-4 pounds), cut up with giblets and skin removed or 3 pounds chicken parts, skin removed

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 bunch carrots, scraped and cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 tsps. curry powder

10 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

salt to taste

1 cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 to 3 tbl. fresh squeezed lemon or lime

Heat the oil on medium heat in a deep stew pot and add the garlic. After 1 minute, add the shallots and stir well for 3 minutes, until the shallots soften. Add the peppercorns, cardomom pods, ginger and dried red chilies. Cook until the onions are wilted. After about 8-10 minutes, add the coconut and stir for 2 minutes more, or until the coconut is toasted.

Add the chicken and stir well to brown all sides. After 4 minutes, add the potatoes, carrots and curry powder. Add 4 1/2 cups of warm water and stir. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn the heat down to low and add the tomatoes. Continue to stir and cook uncovered for 5 minutes and then let simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. The chicken should be falling off the bone. Adjust salt to taste. Before serving, stir in the cilantro leaves and lemon juice to awaken the flavors.

Serves 4-6

Notes: If you can get tamarind pulp, use it this way: Soak 1 ounce (golf ball size) knob of tamarind pulp in 1 cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. When adding the potatoes and curry powder, pour in the tamarind water, straining it through a fine-mesh sieve and pressing the tamarind with the back of a spoon to get out as much of the pulp water as possible. Add 4 cups of warm water through the sieve and stir. Do not add the additional 4 1/2 cups of water.

1 cup of canned tomatoes can replace the plum tomatoes.

If possible, remove the peppercorns before serving. My tasters did not enjoy eating them or picking them out of the plate at the table.