This is absolutely one of my favorite dinners. Short cut versions can work when in a pinch but they just don’t compare to the real deal. For instance, if the meat isn’t marinated for at the very least a half hour prior to cooking, some of the savor from the spices is compromised. In addition, cooking the chicken in the sauce means we totally miss the depth of flavor from browning the seasoned meat prior to marrying it with the sauce. My affinity for coconut milk is deep but nothing can compare to using heavy cream. There’s just no substitute and trust me, I make this frequently and have tried all of them. And lastly, a smooth curry sauce is perfected by the help of a food processor. It’s just delectable.

Therefore, the recommendation is to try to prepare ahead of time to give time to make the marinade and let the chicken absorb all those aromatic spices. Then go ahead and let your home smell like the comfort of curry by browning the meat first before making the sauce (and a lot of noise) by blending up the browned onions in the curry sauce before the meat is added back in. All of this prep is for both the entree dinner plus for leftover sauce to dip a fresh piece of naan into during lunch time. Yum!

Ingredients

Serves 4

Marinade Ingredients:

1.5-2lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated or minced ginger
3/4 cup plain yogurt

Sauce Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (finely chopped if skipping step 5)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups plain tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Combine chicken pieces with all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl and cover for at least half hour, in the fridge. 
2. Brown the chicken pieces on medium high heat. Avoid crowding the pan and only brown the pieces on both sides. They will finish cooking in the sauce. Work in batches and set browned pieces aside in a separate bowl.
3. Add the oil to the same pan and cook the onion until translucent. 
4. Add in the garlic, ginger and coriander for about 30 seconds then stir in the tomato sauce. Simmer for about 3 min then stir in the cream. 
5. This step is optional, but for a creamier sauce, transfer the sauce into a food processor and pulse until the onion is blended. Add the sauce back to the pan.
6. Add the chicken with juices back into the sauce plus the brown sugar and allow it to simmer an additional 5-10 minutes. 
7. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. 

Notes

• If skipping step 5 to blend the sauce, finely chop the onions for a smoother sauce
• If using coconut milk instead of heavy cream, full fat coconut milk works best
• The chicken can marinate overnight
• Chicken thighs hold the flavors better than chicken breast however chicken breast will work too
• This dish pairs best with basmati or jasmine rice and fresh naan