Recipe of the Week: Curry Chicken in a hurry

Last Saturday was Curried Chicken Day, which is a popular dish not only in Asia, the UK and the Caribbean, but also in our home.  I make at least three variations of curried chicken (including a cold salad) and each one is a little different.

The word "curry" is an anglicized version of the Tamil word "kari" which means "stir-fried".  A typical curry from the Indian subcontinent consists of chicken stewed in a onion and tomato based sauce, flavored with garlic, ginger, chili peppers and tomato puree along with a variety of spices including turmeric, cumin and cinnamon.  Outside of South Asia, chicken curry is often make with a pre-made spice mixture known as curry powder.

Curry in North America dates back to the early 1800's, when a British sea captain stationed in Bengal, India shared the recipe for a dish with some friends in the shipping port of Savannah, Georgia.  In 1940, in Warm Springs, Georgia the dish was served under the name Country Captain to Franklin Roosevelt and to General George S. Patton.

This particular recipe is a go-to dish in our house, because it can be made in minutes, but tastes like it's been cooking all day.  

Enjoy!
Stacy

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Ingredients:

1 cup jasmine rice

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 cups shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Sprinkle onion with curry powder and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add the yogurt and cream and simmer gently for 3 minutes (depending on desired thickness you may need to thin with 1 tablespoon of water or broth or add more cream).  

Season with salt and pepper and then add the tomatoes.  Stir to combine and heat all ingredients, about 3-5 minutes.  Finally, add the chicken and warm through, about 2 minutes.

Divide the rice and the curry into individual bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.