Hundreds of years ago black pepper was worth its weight in gold, inspiring hundreds of seamen, including Christopher Columbus, to risk their lives looking for India, the land of spices. Over time, black pepper’s magic has been forgotten and it has been relegated to a table or sprinkling spice. But when used singularly in copious amounts, black pepper has a gentle bite with a sweet fragrance. I don’t use cream very often in my curries but this one rounds off the sharp bite of the black pepper and makes for an aromatic rich dish. Like most curries, this one tastes even better the next day when the flavors have mellowed.
serves 4
ingredients
4 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (roughly 1 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons pain whole-milk yogurt
4 tablespoons ghee
1 cup minced white or yellow onions
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons grated unpeeled ginger
1/2 cup heavy cream
Chopped cilantro for garnish
instructions
Trim the chicken of excess fat, rinse dry and marinate in yogurt and set aside for an hour or up to 24 hours.
In a stockpot, heat ghee and add the minced onions and carrots. Cover the stockpot, lower the heat and let the onions cook for 3 to 5 minutes, frequently stirring. The onions will become translucent.
Turn the heat and add the marinated chicken pieces, salt, black pepper, garlic, and ginger.Lower the heat and cover the stockpot. Simmer the curry for 15 to 20 minutes until the meat and carrots are tender. The fat should have risen to the top.
Turn the heat off and let the curry rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Just before serving the curry,drizzle with heavy cream or plain yogurt, and chopped cilantro.
notes & variations
This curry is best served with rice, fresh herbs, and plain yogurt.
This recipe works with lamb - increase the cooking time until the lamb is tender.
Any vegetable can be used in this curry, such as potatoes, bell peppers, or butternut squash.
For a slightly creamier version, add half a cup plain yogurt or heavy cream halfway through the cooking process.
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