Easy Chicken Curry in Yogurt Sauce

It's easy to prepare your own Indian Curried Chicken at home. This recipe is tasty, adjustable for any degree of spiciness, and low in fat. Prepare some basmati rice on the side, some homemade chapattis or naan from the grocery store and you've got a complete Indian meal in less than an hour.

Easy Chicken Curry

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup nonfat yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2-4 tablespoons curry powder

2 cups frozen peas

¼ cup cashews or slivered toasted almonds.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Mix the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and curry powder together to make your Indian curry sauce. Stir in the chicken and pour into a heavy baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Serve over basmati rice and sprinkle with nuts. Quick and easy!

Seasoned Basmati Rice

Basmati, a long grained rice, has a distinctive flavor, and is traditionally served with Indian food. Most Basmati rice is sold with a talc coating so should be rinsed thoroughly before cooking.

Rinse 1 ½ cups basmati rice thoroughly. Place in a pot with 2 ½ cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 whole cardamom pods, and 10 whole cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. For yellow rice, add 1 teaspoon turmeric and a pinch of saffron to the cooking water.

Chapattis

These traditional Indian flatbreads are quick and easy to make. The recipe is a variation on one from a childhood friend born in India.

Mix one cup of whole wheat bread flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, to form a thick dough the consistency of play dough. Cut into six pieces and form each into a ball. Roll out on a floured board to ¼ inch thickness. Heat a pancake griddle and lightly oil. Cook each chapatti a few minutes on each side until brown. Wrap with foil and keep warm in the oven.
Indian Curry Powder

While many households in India create their own curry blends, there are some great blended curry powders on the market. Not all Indian curries are strongly spicy. For a milder taste, consider Vann's Tandoori powder or Penzey's Sweet Curry. Madras and Vindaloo blends have a bit more kick. Garam Masala is a blend often added at the end of cooking to finish a dish.

Bon Appetit!

Tandoori, Vann's Spices

Sweet Curry Powder, Penzey's Spices