Spices are what can make or break a curry dish. You can make curry with any kind of meat, whether beef, chicken, pork, and even seafood. It doesn’t even have to contain any meat! That’s because curry or kari means sauce.
The chicken curry we know was introduced to us by the Indians. With the limited amount of spices and herbs that should be in the authentic version, the local version of the curry was the best the foreign Indians could make with the ingredients they had access to.
So, how do you make the best chicken curry? It’s actually very easy with our best tips on how to cook it:
1 Use whole spices.
If you have whole spices, you’re already doing the best you can to cook the best tasting curry. Whole spices are actually the best spices to use for curry. Whole spices have better flavor than preground spices. The best way to bring out the flavors of the spices is by heating these.
You can do this by using a dry frying pan so these spices become toasted. Once these are toasted only then can you grind these easily, finely into a powder that you can add to your sauce.
2 Sear the chicken.
Searing the chicken is the best way to make chicken flavorful. You should already know that the browning meat creates and intensifies its natural flavor. It’s all because of the chemical reaction called the Maillard Reaction. All it means is that browning meat creates more flavor. No other cooking procedure will create the flavors that only searing creates and it is this browned crust that makes your dish even more delicious.
3 Add the curry powder at the right time.
Once you have your chicken pieces seared until golden brown and delicious, sprinkle in the curry powder and stir it into the hot oil. The hot oil will bloom the spices in its heat. Blooming the spices is another level of boosting the flavor more, deepening the flavors. Cook the curry powder until it smells deliciously aromatic.
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4 Simmer the gata.
Pour in the gata after the spices are added. Stir, let the gata come to a boil, and then simmer until the oils of the coconut come out. You may have to stir occasionally until this happens but you’ll know it’s done when, after simmering for several minutes, coconut oil will have been extracted from it and the chicken pieces are all cooked through.
5 Season, taste, and serve.
Even with all the spices in the curry powder you made, there isn’t any salt in it. Season the curry dish to taste as with all dishes. Remember to taste it to temper the saltiness and serve with lots of steamed rice. The curry sauce especially will be lovely soaking up all the aromatic and delicious flavors you just created.
Does this process seem hard? We don’t think so. In fact, we think it’s easy. It’s simple steps that when done right can bring out the best flavors of your ingredients. When your ingredients taste its best, that’s when you have the best tasting dish on your plate.
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