The Laziest Chicken Curry
with any vegetable of your choice for an easy meal
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Cooking in a new kitchen is always an adventure. Your favorite pots and pans are not available, your collection of spices and ingredients is enjoying their me-time back in your home kitchen, and your sense of bearing for where anything lives is all wrong. I have been traveling recently and have certainly found myself in a deep sense of confusion in my travel kitchens.
However, sometimes the craving for a home-cooked curry is quite strong and one must navigate any and all challenges to get that deliciousness into one’s belly! Alas, my super lazy chicken curry was born out of such a necessity. While this is not an authentic chicken curry or prepared in a traditional way with building of flavors, it satisfied my craving well. It also embodied my free style cooking spirit.
Before we dive into the recipe, do you dare to be lazy with me?
Marinate the chicken: I had boneless skinless chicken thighs in the fridge but any cut would be fine. The marinade is super simple prepared from yogurt and any Indian spices you can get your hands on. I used 100g of Greek yogurt. I found cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garlic powder, & red chili flakes in my travel kitchen. I added ~1 tbsp of each spice but this should be adjusted to your spice tolerance. Let the chicken (~500g) marinate while you chop your vegetables (~15 mins). I did not add any oil to this since the fat from chicken thighs would contribute just fine. If I used chicken breast I would probably add a tablespoon of olive oil to the marinade.
Chop the vegetables: You can use any vegetables you have on hand. I had lots of onions and multi colored bell peppers to use up. I diced the onions (~250g) and added them directly to the marinating chicken. For the peppers (~400g), I added half to the chicken and saved the other half. The idea was to create a texture of both soft and crunchy peppers based on how long they spent cooking in the pot.
Cook and finish: Mix everything well, add a cup of water*, and let this cook on medium heat for 15-25 mins depending on the type & size of your chicken pieces. Perhaps you are wondering why I am not making the curry with the proper dance sequence where flavors are built over time. What can I say - I had to adapt to a new kitchen and the lack of energy and ingredients to make it the traditional way.
*The chicken and vegetables will both release water. If you prefer less gravy, add minimal to half a cup of water or adjust throughout the cooking process. I wanted more gravy so I added a full cup of water.
Ideally I would have liked to finish with a splash of lemon juice and garnish this with cilantro but I didn’t have either. Instead I garnished with parsley. I see this as an opportunity to get creative and garnish with any green herb of your choice!
Serve a tasty curry: I served this as a stew for myself and happily slurped away the gravy and savored the spicy chicken and peppers. My husband enjoyed this with steamed brown rice with a dollop of greek yogurt.
Dish Debrief
Is this my winner or disaster? win
How would I rate this dish out of 10? 8/10
What would I change next time? add more spices & balance with citrus
Would I make this again? for sure
I like lazy cooking