No Salsa... *sigh*
I started digging in my pantry, and discovered a jar of Tikka Masala sauce. Hum, that could be nice! But then I realized that it was a lot of sauce for only 4 chicken thighs, bringing up the number of calories/fat per serving higher than I wanted it to be after the splurge Friday night. Grrrr
Ok then, lets just get started and see where it leads me. What started with dragging my feet around the kitchen cause, like it or not we need to eat, turned into a fun cooking session with my husband taking notes. Here's what we ended up eating (and it was DELICIOUS!):
Chicken-Kale Curry
4 servings, 4 P+/Serving (5 if you count the kale, I don't)
Ingredients
1 TBSP oil
4 med, skinless, bone in chicken thighs
1 red onion, quartered, sliced
1 serrano chile, sort of seeded, minced
2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 frozen cubes)
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup broccoli, chopped
1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
3 cups kale chopped
Spices: 1 TBSP garam masala, 1 tsp curry powder (madras), 1 generous pinch cayenne pepper, 1 generous pinch clove
Sal pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth (to be used as needed)
Heat up oil in a Karahi over medium-high flame (it's like a wok with a flat bottom, mine's cast iron). Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces generously with the spice mix (I used about 1/3 of the mix). Brown chicken on each side, take out set aside.
Sauteed the onions in the hot karahi until lightly brown (5-8 minutes). Add the Serrano pepper and garlic and cook until fragrant (30-60 seconds), add carrots and broccoli and sauteed about a minute or two until just tender. Add about 2/3 of the spices left, salt and pepper to taste, and sauteed stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of chicken broth and stir, scrapping the bottom.
Lower the flame to medium-low and dump the kale on top of the mixture (do not stir yet!), sprinkle with more spices and cover. Let the kale steam for about 3 minutes. Uncover and stir to coat the steamed kale with the sauce.
Move the veggies around to make a little "nest" for the chicken thighs put them in and cover them with the mixture. Cover and cook, over medium-low flame for about 20-25 minutes. Stir every once in a while, and add some broth if it gets too dry in there. You want it saucy (not soupy) but you don't want it to stick either! I cooked it about 1 minute uncovered over high flame at the end to let it thicken up a little more.
4 servings, 4 P+/Serving (5 if you count the kale, I don't)
Ingredients
1 TBSP oil
4 med, skinless, bone in chicken thighs
1 red onion, quartered, sliced
1 serrano chile, sort of seeded, minced
2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 frozen cubes)
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup broccoli, chopped
1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
3 cups kale chopped
Spices: 1 TBSP garam masala, 1 tsp curry powder (madras), 1 generous pinch cayenne pepper, 1 generous pinch clove
Sal pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth (to be used as needed)
Heat up oil in a Karahi over medium-high flame (it's like a wok with a flat bottom, mine's cast iron). Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces generously with the spice mix (I used about 1/3 of the mix). Brown chicken on each side, take out set aside.
Sauteed the onions in the hot karahi until lightly brown (5-8 minutes). Add the Serrano pepper and garlic and cook until fragrant (30-60 seconds), add carrots and broccoli and sauteed about a minute or two until just tender. Add about 2/3 of the spices left, salt and pepper to taste, and sauteed stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of chicken broth and stir, scrapping the bottom.
Lower the flame to medium-low and dump the kale on top of the mixture (do not stir yet!), sprinkle with more spices and cover. Let the kale steam for about 3 minutes. Uncover and stir to coat the steamed kale with the sauce.
Move the veggies around to make a little "nest" for the chicken thighs put them in and cover them with the mixture. Cover and cook, over medium-low flame for about 20-25 minutes. Stir every once in a while, and add some broth if it gets too dry in there. You want it saucy (not soupy) but you don't want it to stick either! I cooked it about 1 minute uncovered over high flame at the end to let it thicken up a little more.
Notes:
- My cast iron Karahi is perfect for this, it's like a wok but with a flat bottom. Mine is from "Le Creuset" and the lid of my 5 quart Dutch oven fits perfectly on it. Any pot that retains heat very well and has a tight fitting lid will do.
- It IS a lot of spice, and it's a little intimidating, I ended up not using all of it not trusting myself (I have about a tsp leftover). Next time I'll use all of it. Not at all overwhelming.
- Kale and curry usually don't go together... who cares? It's delicious... screw traditions!
I'm feeling like playing mad scientist again in the kitchen (rather than following recipes from cookbooks) so keep your eyes peeled for more recipes!
Happy Cooking!
