July Recipe - Pakistani Chicken Curry

Pakistani Chicken Curry

The chicken in this recipe has a fragrant spiciness with a mild “heat” level. Even heat-sensitive palates will be able to enjoy this flavorful dish. Instead of using a pre-packaged curry powder, this recipe uses a blend of spices to make the “curry” flavor. Perhaps the most important spice is the black cardamom, for which there is no readily available alternative. Black cardamom are large cardamom pods containing 10-20 dark seeds that have a spicy-smoke flavor. They are available from Penzey’s at www.penzeys.com.

Serve this dish with a cold bottle of Fenn Valley Edelzwicker. The floral nature of the wine will compliment the fragrance of the curry, and the touch of sweetness will soften the tiny bit of “heat” from the curry.

* 1 whole chicken (2½-3 Lb) skinned, excess fat removed, and sectioned into 10 parts (drumsticks, thighs, wings, ¼ breast)
* 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
* 2 cups thinly sliced onion (1 very large onion)
* 2 Tbsp minced garlic
* 2 Tbsp (packed) grated fresh ginger
* 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 3/8 cup plain yogurt
* 6 large black cardamom pods, cracked
* 10 cloves
* 2 tsp chili powder (the kind of chili powder will determine the “heat” of the curry)
* 1 tsp cumin seeds (or ½ tsp ground cumin)
* 1 tsp ground turmeric
* 1 Tbsp ground coriander
* 2 bay leaves
* 3/8 cup lightly packed, coarsely chopped fresh cilantro


Assemble all of the dried spices (black cardamom through the bay leaves). Grate the ginger and combine with the garlic. If you are counting calories, the yogurt can be low or non-fat.

Sauté the onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil over med-low heat, stirring often, until the onions are well caramelized – dark golden brown. Off the heat. Remove the onions from the skillet and process in a food processor until coarsely pureed. Reserve.

Return the skillet to the burner and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic-ginger mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add additional oil as needed if the mixture sticks to the pan.

Add the tomatoes and the chopped onions. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Fold in the yogurt and add the spice mixture. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, stir well, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes.

Remove the lid, add the cilantro, and allow the sauce to thicken for 8-10 minutes while stirring as needed. Serve over basmati rice. Serves 4-6.