Chicken curry for all occasions

Chicken curry for all occasionsChicken curry is a staple throughout India. The flavours vary depending on the region but denote a preparation mainly consisting of ingredients within easy reach and availability. The main ingredients apart from chicken are onion, tomato, whole hot spices, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chilli and salt. Over a period of time this term has been more popular and variations of the dish exist in almost all over the world now. The below mentioned recipe is one of the simplest chicken curry recipes with minimum ingredients and less preparation time. You can modify the recipe by adding some more ingredients of your choice like curry powder, coconut, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Ingredients(Serves 4)Chicken 800gOnion 4-5 mediumTomato 4-5 mediumGarlic paste 1 tbspGinger paste 1 tbspGhee 3 tbspCinnamon stick 1 noBay leaf 1 noClove 2-3 noGreen cardamom 2-3 podsTurmeric powder ½ tspCoriander powder 2 tbspRed chilli powder    2 tbspCumin powder ½ tspSalt to tasteFresh coriander leaves (few sprigs)Garam masala powder 1tspMethodHeat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add cinnamon, bay leaf, clove and cardamom pod.Add sliced onion and sauté till golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and sauté for another two minutes.Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and pureed tomatoes.Sauté till the masala leaves some oil on top.Add the washed chicken pieces and salt, then turn chicken to coat the masala evenly. Add moisture to half cover the chicken and cover with a lid and continue to cook over low flame.Once the chicken is cooked remove from flame and sprinkle with garam masala and freshly chopped coriander leaves.Note: For the presentation I have scooped out marrow and boiled in salted water and then placed chicken curry pieces in the hollow space and garnished with some bell pepper curls to enhance the presentation of chicken curry.Cherry caramel custardCrème caramel is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top and is a variant of plain custard (crème) where sugar syrup cooked to caramel stage is poured into the mould before adding the custard base. It is usually cooked in a bain-marie on a stove top or in the oven in a water bath. It is turned and served with the caramel sauce on top, hence the alternate French name crème caramel renversée, as opposed to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top. Also in some parts of the world it is called flan. The dish is eaten throughout the world and finds its way to most of the dessert menus. Ingredients(Serves 6)Sugar 2/3 cupWater 1/3 cupDry red cherry ½ cupMilk 1 cupCream 1 cupEgg yolks 4 noCastor sugar ½ cupVanilla extract (few drops)EquipmentRamekin bowls 6 noMethodPlace sugar and water in a heavy bottom sauce pan and let the sugar dissolve.Increase the heat and boil till the syrup turns golden brown and achieves a nice golden brown colour.Carefully divide the caramel into 6 ramekins and allow to cool place dry dark cherry in the ramekins.In another sauce pan heat milk and cream and meanwhile combine egg yolks, castor sugar and vanilla extract.Gently whisk 2 spoons of the milk mixture to egg mixture.Slowly pour the remaining mixture while whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Strain the mixture through a sieve and pour into prepared ramekins.Place the ramekins in a baking tray and pour water in baking tray to ensure even baking.Bake at 325 degree Fahrenheit  for 30-35 minutes.Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes and place in refrigerator to chill.De mould from ramekin and serve chilled garnished with some cherry halves.***  Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel.  Send your feedback to: exe.chef@horizonmanor.com