This is mild yet savory curry that is a perfect introduction to both cooking and eating Indian food. It is best made with a big stainless sauce pan or pot and an immersion blender, but can also be made in a crock pot. A regular blender will work too but the transferring back and forth can get messy.
4-6 chicken breasts
2-3 large onions (diced)
6-8 garlic cloves (minced)
Fresh ginger (same amount garlic)
Chicken stock
Cream
Turmeric
Curry powder
Red pepper
Salt
Safflower/sunflower oil
Butter
Fresh cilantro
Season chicken breasts with salt and a little curry powder. Brown the chicken in oil over medium heat in the sauce pan/pot you want to make the curry in. A little sear is ideal but be careful not to burn. Set chicken aside.
Clear out any burnt bits from the pan and add more oil if needed to cover the bottom generously. Add the onions and sauté on medium heat until soft. Then add minced garlic and ginger. Sprinkle generously with salt and add some red pepper if you want a little heat. Let it cook down until onions are translucent and just starting to caramelize.
Now add the spices. For a mild sauce use equal parts curry powder and turmeric. About one heaping teaspoon each. For more depth of flavor add more curry powder. If it looks like you put in too much, then you did it right. For a spicier dish, add more red pepper too.
Stir the mixture until everything is covered in the spices and almost resembles a paste. Deglaze with chicken stock and add enough to rehydrate and cover the onions. Onions should be swimming but not quite a soup. Let that cook on a simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce a little.
While the curry is simmering, cut the chicken up into whatever size pieces you like. It’s ok if they are raw in the middle because they will finish cooking in the sauce.
If you have an immersion blender, remove pot from heat and blend until smooth. Otherwise, transfer curry to blender and return to pot as a smooth purée.
Return blended curry to low heat and add the chicken chunks. Simmer on low for about 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Then stir in a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cream to create a smooth texture and add salt. Taste and repeat with more salt as needed to reach your liking.
Just before serving add a couple tabs of cold butter to create a nice sheen and top with fresh minced cilantro. Serve with rice and naan bread.
For crock pot method, make curry sauce as described above but transfer to crock pot after blending. Add the chicken and cook at least 4 hours. Wait to add cream and cilantro until right before serving.