West: Bombay Style Chicken Curry in Delicate Cream Sauce

Name: West: Bombay Style Chicken Curry in Delicate Cream Sauce
Total time: P1H
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: cumin seeds; cloves; black peppercorns; cinnamon sticks; cardamom seeds; vegetable oil; onions; garlic; ginger; tomatoes; chicken; yogurt, plain; water; cayenne pepper; salt; light cream (half&half); cilantro; red onion; sweet red bell peppers; lemon

Submitted by mooney

Bombay-style chicken curry simmered in a velvety cream sauce with freshly ground cumin, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Yogurt and tomatoes build layers of tangy, aromatic warmth.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

30 min

COOK

30 min

READY

60 min

This is not your weeknight shortcut curry. This is the real thing.

Whole cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, and green cardamom get freshly ground into a fragrant spice blend that fills the kitchen the moment it hits the hot oil.

Chicken pieces simmer in that spice base along with tomatoes, yogurt, ginger, and garlic until tender, then get finished with a pour of half-and-half that turns the sauce silky, rich, and impossibly smooth.

Garnished with fresh cilantro, sliced red onion, peppers, and lemon wedges, this is the kind of curry you serve when you want to impress.

Kitchen Tips

Grind the whole spices fresh in a coffee grinder. Pre-ground spices lose their punch fast, and the difference here is night and day.
Brown the onions properly before adding the spice blend. That light golden colour builds the flavour foundation for the entire dish.
Add the yogurt gradually and stir constantly. Dumping it in all at once over high heat can cause it to curdle and break.
Let the sauce reduce uncovered in those last 10 minutes. That’s what takes it from thin and soupy to thick, glossy, and spoon-coating.

Ingredients

TEASPOON CUMIN SEED

CLOVES
whole *

EACH BLACK PEPPERCORN *

EACH CINNAMON STICK
one inch piece *

EACH CARDAMOM SEED
green, husked *

TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
light

LARGE ONION
finely chopped

CLOVES GARLIC
minced

TABLESPOON GINGER
fresh, peeled, grated

1 ½

CUPS TOMATOES
skinned, chopped

POUNDS CHICKEN
skinned, cut into serving pieces

CUP YOGURT, PLAIN

CUP WATER

TEASPOON CAYENNE PEPPER

1 ½

TEASPOONS SALT
or to taste

CUP LIGHT CREAM (HALF&HALF)

Garnishes

TABLESPOONS CILANTRO
chopped

RED ONION
peeled, sliced

EACH SWEET RED BELL PEPPER
red or green, cored, sliced

LEMON
cut into wedges

Directions

Combine cumin, cloves, pepper corns, cinnamon and cardamom seeds in an electric coffee mill and grind until reduced to a powder.

Set aside.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add onion, garlic and ginger.

Cook until onion is lightly browned, about 4 minutes, Add ground spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about I minute. Add tomato and chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken pieces are no longer pink. Add yogurt and turn chicken pieces to coat. Add water, cayenne and salt. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in half-and-half; simmer until chicken is tender and sauce is thick, about 10 minutes. Skim off excess fat. Arrange chicken on a heated, deep serving dish and pour sauce over. Garnish with cilantro. Surround with onions, peppers and lemon wedges.