Ingredients
Method
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or a deep skillet over medium heat. Add your chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook them for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the pot. Stir them into the onions for just one minute until you can really smell them. Now, add the curry powder and turmeric. This is called “blooming” the spices.
- Push the onion and spice mixture to the sides of the pot and add the chicken pieces to the center. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Brown the chicken for about 5 minutes.
- You are not trying to cook the chicken all the way through at this stage; you just want to get a little bit of color on the outside.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and the coconut milk. Stir everything together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the flavorful brown bits that stuck to the pan.
- Add the salt and black pepper. The mixture will look quite light because of the coconut milk, but it will darken and intensify in color as it simmers.
- Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let the curry simmer gently for about 20 to 25 minutes. Every ten minutes, give it a quick stir to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.
- Once the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick, turn off the heat. Stir in the lime juice.
- Taste the sauce one last time and add a bit more salt if needed. Serve it hot over a bed of basmati rice or with a piece of warm naan bread.
Notes
One big mistake is adding the garlic too early. Garlic burns much faster than onions. If you put it in at the start, it will turn bitter and ruin the taste of the entire sauce. Always wait until the onions are finished cooking before you add the aromatics.
This ensures you get the sweetness of the garlic without the burnt aftertaste.