30 minute Easy Chicken and Chickpea Curry

30 minute Easy Chicken and Chickpea Curry

This recipe was the result of a bit of a challenge that I set for myself based upon an email I got from a reader asking if I had a really quick chicken curry recipe that didn't use a lot of hard to find spices, was only mildly spicy and low in fat. Normally my favorite curries take a while to simmer so the quick requirement was my biggest concern but I decided to give it a whirl anyway.

There are a couple of Asian markets that I go to in my neighborhood for curry spices but for this one I decided to only use spices that were easily found in the spice aisle at the supermarket. This one only has 4 spices and probably the least common of those is the Indian spice blend, garam masala but I checked the last 4 supermarkets I visited and each one of them had it in the spice display so it's now pretty commonly found.


Long story short, even with only a few ingredients and spices, it was terrific. Spouse is not one for hot curries so she was particularly pleased with this one; it's her new favorite. The kids scarfed theirs down too and were even happy to have the leftovers the next day. I would absolutely recommend making a double batch and plan for leftovers of this tasty, economical meal.

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, diced
• salt and pepper to season
• 3 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onion diced fine
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp yellow curry powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup drained low fat yogurt (or low fat Greek yogurt)
• 2 cups canned chick peas, drained and rinsed 

Heat the peanut oil in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat,  Brown the chicken pieces for a few minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and add the onions and garlic. Cook them for a few minutes until they soften then add the turmeric, yellow curry powder, garam masala and cardamom.Stir them well into the onions and garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Return the browned chicken to the pot along with the fresh ginger and and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a slow simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the yogurt and chickpeas and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve over plain basmati rice.

30 minute Easy Chicken and Chickpea Curry

NEW VIDEO RECIPE: Bakeapple (Cloudberry) Chicken Curry

Bakeapple (Cloudberry) Chicken Curry

This idea was inspired by a mango curry recipe. I decided that the unique flavor of bakeapples (cloudberries) was sufficiently exotic enough to hold up to the bold spice flavor of an Indian curry dish. The result did not disappoint. It was absolutely delicious.Of course many outside Newfoundland and Labrador will not have access to these beautiful berries but diced mango can easily be substituted for an equally delicious dish. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and/or naan bread.

You can use regular bread dough to make the naan or make your own naan dough using the recipe found here. If it's not outdoor grilling weather you can also cook the dough rounds on a hot, un-oiled cast iron pan.

You can find the complete recipe for this delicious curry by clicking here.

For iPad, iPhone and other mobile users who cannot see the video display below please click here.

Indian Spiced Roast Chicken

Indian Spiced Roast Chicken

A roast chicken dinner is a great Autumn comfort food meal but sometimes it's nice to mix it up and try something a little different to perk up your taste buds; wouldn't want them getting lazy over the winter. Our family loves Indian dishes of all kinds and here we just used some of our favorite curry inspired spices to season the outside of the chicken while the cavity gets filled with aromatic ginger, garlic and onions. The result is flavor being infused into the meat from both directions for a very delicious result. We served it with a warm couscous salad on this occasion but your favorite rice dish would also be great too.

Indian Spiced Roast Chicken

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

An Indian spice inspired roast chicken, infused with ginger, garlic and onion.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours
Total time: Under 2 hours
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients

• 3-4 pound whole chicken
• 1 tbsp powdered ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp powdered garlic
• 1 tbsp yellow curry powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• four 1/4 inch slices ginger root
• 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 1/2 small red onion

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the onions, garlic and ginger into the cavity of the chicken.
3. Mix the spices, salt and pepper with the olive oil.
4. Brush or rub the spice mix all over the exterior of the chicken.
5. Roast, uncovered on a rack for about 1 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven before carving and serving. 

Indian Spiced Roast Chicken

Curry Pork Chops with Easy Plum Chutney

Curry Pork Chops with Easy Plum Chutney

There's still plenty of great grilling days left in the season but even if there weren't these juicy chops would be easy to accomplish under the broiler as well. The chops need only be marinated for an hour or so but if you want to let them sit overnight to pick up maximum flavor that's perfectly fine too and will give you a head start on this beautifully seasoned pork recipe that's made even better with a sweet and sour, easy plum chutney. I've used yellow plums here while they were in season but the recipe can use any plums you like.

Serves 4

• 4 boneless center loin pork chops

Marinade

Mix together:

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp yellow curry powder
• 2 tbsp peanut oil

Rub the marinade all over the pork chops and place in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for an hour or two or overnight. Grill the pork chops until fully cooked. I use a meat thermometer to cook them to an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees F. Let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving with the plum chutney.

Plum Chutney

Begin by sautéing together in a small pot for a few minutes until softened

• 1 small red onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Add:

• 4 cups diced ripe plums
• 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger root 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional) or red curry paste/powder to taste

Simmer together gently for about a half hour until the mixture thickens and resembles a thick chunky jam. Serve over or along side the grilled pork chops.

Singapore Style Noodles

Singapore Style Noodles

One of my favorite take-out Chinese food meals is also one that we now make at home. You can add or modify the vegetables and meats to your own tastes. If you don't like shrimp don't add them. Substitute chopped broccoli for the green onions if you like; the recipe will be good no matter how you modify the ingredients which also goes for the chili pepper, add a little or a lot depending on your heat preference.

This delicious dish has quickly become a go-to quick meal at our house and one we all really enjoy.

Serves 6-8

• 1 pound rice vermicelli noodles, cooked and drained

Meats:

• 1/2 pound lightly sautéed shrimp
• 1/2 pound lightly sautéed boneless chicken breast slices
• 1/2 pound lightly sautéed pork tenderloin slices

Vegetables:

• 1 small red pepper, julienned
• 2 small green onions sliced
• 2 cups fresh bean spouts
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup thinly sliced Chinese or Napa cabbage
• 4 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Start by lightly sautéing the shrimp, chicken and pork and set aside.

To a large wok add:

• 4 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 small onion, julienned
• 1 minced fresh chili pepper (more or less to taste)

Cook until the onions are softened then add:

• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup Hoisen sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
• 2 tbsp yellow curry powder

Simmer until the volume is reduced by about 1/4 then add the meats and vegetables and cook for an additional minute before adding the cooked rice noodles and tossing everything together until the noodles are evenly coated.

Creamy Curry Orzo Salad

Creamy Curry Orzo Salad

Here's a terrific, easy, flavorful summer side dish perfect for barbeques and picnics.

• 3 cups fully cooked orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup coarsely grated carrots
• 1/4 cup golden raisins

Dressing

Mix together:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup plain mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp honey
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tsp yellow curry powder
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped chives

Toss with the other ingredients and let sit in the fridge for an hour or two before serving.

Curry Radicchio Chicken Salad Sandwiches

The busy work and school week, combined with extensive chauffeur duties to our kid's activities, leaves us with a tight schedule to fit an evening meal on many occasions. One solution is to have a quick meal in the fridge that is on the table in a couple of minutes. These Curry Radicchio Chicken Salad Sandwiches fit that bill nicely; we served these with the cold Lemon Spaghetti Salad that was featured earlier this week on this blog. The Chicken Salad and pasta salad can easily be prepared quickly the evening before. I plan to have a grilled chicken dish the day before and grill extra chicken breasts to make these sandwiches for lunch or dinner the next day. Sometimes, even I am forced to be organized!

We served these particular sandwiches on some toasted fresh rolls from Manna bakery here in St. John's.

4 mini baguettes or Kaiser rolls
4 grilled chicken breasts, cubed
8 slices crisp cooked bacon
1 cup shredded radicchio
½ cup lemon mayonnaise
3 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 ½ tbsp curry powder
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to season

Toss together the cubed chicken, radicchio, mayo, red onion, curry powder, mint, salt and pepper. Serve on the toasted rolls and top with the crisp cooked bacon. Serves 4.