Turmeric Chicken Curry

Let’s talk gadgets for a moment. You may have noticed that most of my recipes are staunchly low-tech. I’ve moved around a lot as an adult, which has made me a bit of a luddite when it comes to kitchen machinery. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve daydreamed about having heavy-duty appliances lining my countertop like a regiment of vintage cars, lovingly buffing their chrome detailing with a warm breath and microfiber shammy. But as much as I covet that stand mixer, I know it would just sit around collecting dust.

Part of the reason I’m anti-appliance is I perversely find chopping, blending, and kneading therapeutic. I spend so much of my life rushing and multitasking, I’m usually trying not to do this when I cook. I’ve also noticed that my appreciation for a meal often directly correlates with the amount of care and effort that has gone into it. Turns out, the secret ingredient is love.

Mostly though, I dislike the implication in some recipes that only a certain set of people are equipped to make this particular food. My grandmother never had so much as a blender and she was the best cook I know. Trust me, if you have the will (and the shoulder muscles) you CAN make a pavlova with a fork.

You can also make curry paste without a food processor, which is what I’ll teach you to do here. Making this curry brought back fond memories of watching my grandma cook, her slippered feet shuffling around the kitchen as if in dance. In honor of my grandmama, here is a dish she would have approved of—packed with intense, balanced flavors and a generous pinch of love.

Quick note: I served this curry with roti canai, a pancake that has its roots in Southeast Asia by way of India (it’s similar to parotta). Good roti canai has papery golden layers, a croissant-like combination of crisp and tender textures. It takes serious skill to flip the dough properly to make those beautiful layers. I don’t have that skill, but it was fun trying! Here’s the recipe I followed for that.

ALSO, turmeric stains with Lady Macbeth permanence, so be sure to wear dark colors and clean up any spills quickly!

Turmeric Chicken Curry
Serves 4

Turmeric Curry Paste

3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
3 heads of garlic
3 shallots, peeled
85g fresh ginger, peeled (this is about a 4-5 inch piece of ginger)
7-10 whole dried red chili peppers (I used the dried chile de árbol, but Thai bird’s eye chilis would be ideal!)
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp ground turmeric
2 tsp toasted, ground coriander seeds
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped very finely
3 tsp lemongrass turmeric paste (I use the one from Mekhala Living, a company I love that makes high quality, organic asian products. You can find it on Amazon)

Preheat oven to 400°F

Slice off the tops of your heads of garlic, slice shallots in half, slice ginger into strips. Drizzle all with vegetable oil and wrap in a little package of aluminum foil. Roast directly on a rack for 45 minutes to an hour.
In the meantime, soak your red chilis in hot water; chop cilantro very finely. (If you’re making the curry recipe, this is a good time to marinate your chicken and prep veggies too!)
In a small bowl, mix your dried spices and salt. This paste will be concentrated, so expect it to be quite salty. The lemongrass and turmeric paste I use contains salt, so the amount of salt listed here accounts for that; if you use an unsalted paste, add a little bit more salt.
At this point, you can blitz all of the ingredients together in a food processor, or just continue to make this by hand! Squeeze all of the garlic cloves out of the bulb, finely chop the shallots and ginger. Mix all of this into your spice blend. Add cilantro and lemongrass paste and mix vigorously. The roasting should have made your ingredients quite mushy and you can break down any lumps with a fork. This recipe makes enough paste for 2-3 batches of curry. It freezes well, too!

Chicken Curry

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; or 2 chicken drumsticks and 2 chicken thighs (for a more rustic version)
3 tbsp water
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into wedges
1/2 cup yellow curry paste (see recipe above)
5-7 new (baby) potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
5 button mushrooms, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 14oz can of coconut milk
1-2 cups water
1-2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
Cilantro, torn roughly for garnish

Slice chicken breast into uniform slices (about 1/4 inch thick), against the grain. In a medium bowl, mix 3 tbsp water, soy sauce, cornstarch, and vegetable oil. If using, leave drumsticks whole and debone thighs. Coat the chicken thoroughly in marinade and set in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Heat a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the chicken very briefly until the pink is gone, strain and rinse.
In a large pot, heat coconut oil on medium heat and sauté onions until translucent.
Add paste and fry for a few seconds until fragrant, add chicken, potatoes, carrots, coconut milk, 1 cup water, and mix thoroughly. Taste, and season with fish sauce if you feel it needs more salt. Bring this to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Allow this to simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through. Add the mushrooms about 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or roti canai!

Supporting The Elderly

This is an incredibly difficult time for the elderly population. Not only are they the most vulnerable to COVID-19, many seniors have limited mobility to shop for food and less access to information, not to mention the pain of being cut off from their loved ones. As I was making this meal and thinking about my grandmother, I wanted to share a few ways to support the elderly community. You can donate organizations like Meals on Wheels and local food banks, donate blood if you are eligible, or simply take the time to show your elderly loved one how to use technology to stay in touch. Matthew McConaughey hosted bingo for a senior home via Zoom. Ali Jaffe, a contributor to the New York Times started cooking with her grandma over FaceTime. We may not be able to volunteer in person right now but there are a lot of creative ways to reach out to the seniors in your life.