Quick & Easy Chicken Pasanda – Rich & Creamy Curry Recipe

 

 

One thing which I really came to love living in the U.K. was curry.  Curry is a meal that has almost pipped Roast Beef, and Fish a& Chips as being the Nation's favorite dish in recent years.  Curry houses dot the length and breadth of the country and a favorite meal enjoyed after a night out of celebrating with your pals is, of course, a good curry!

I had only ever had curry a few times in my life prior to moving over there. The first time was when I was living in Suffield, Alberta on a British Army Training Base. One of my friends made a beautiful chicken curry for a party I was helping her to put together. I almost fainted when I saw her add two whole jars of curry powder to it, but in the end, it was a really delicious dish, and I fell in love.

This curry recipe I am sharing with you today is for a fairly mild chicken curry. Chicken Pasanda. This is a very popular curry dish which originates from Mughlai Cuisine of the Indian Sub-continent. The word Pasanda is derived from the Urdu word "Pasande," which means favorite, and reflects the higher quality of meats generally used in this dish.

 

Today I used chicken tenders. I had some in the refrigerator that needed using up. I was looking for something quick and easy to do for supper and was also craving a curry.  This recipe fit the bill perfectly. I adapted it from a recipe which I found on Kitchen Sanctuary. 

It looked really delicious and simple to make.  I took the liberty of cutting the recipe in half for my own purposes. Mine didn't quite come out as smooth looking as hers did, but I can tell you it was delicious. I enjoyed it with some steamed Basmati rice and parotta bread.  This was a really fabulous meal. Quick and easy to make and oh-so-tasty!  (If you are looking for the full-sized recipe and a video on how to make it, be sure to check out Nicky's page.)

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE CHICKEN PASANDA

It looks like a rather lengthy list, but most of the ingredients are spices.  Other than them you really only need chicken, onions, coriander, almonds, yogurt and cream.

• 1 TBS ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 3/4-pound (270g) chicken breast meat or chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cardamom pods, bruised with the back of a knife.
• 2 tsp garlic/ginger paste (can use 1 clove of garlic minced and 1 tsp grated gingerroot)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp garam masala
• pinch of red chili powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup (120g) full fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy or whipping cream
• 1 heaped TBS ground almonds (almond meal)
• 1 TBS chopped fresh coriander

To garnish and serve:

• 1 TBS toasted flaked almonds
• 1 TBS chopped fresh coriander
• steamed rice

 

I have started making my own ghee. It is a lot cheaper and nicer tasting than anything you could buy ready made. I share a complete tutorial here.

I used chicken tenders, and I removed the tendons from them before I cut them into bite sized pieces.  You can see a video on how to do that here.  It is very easily done. These tendons, if not removed, can give the chicken a tough and rubbery texture.  I always remove them.

I buy all of my spices at a local Indian Grocery. They are usually quite a bit cheaper than what you would pay for them in a normal grocery store.

Full fat yogurt has less of a tendency to split than low fat yogurt. Use the ground blanched almonds, not the ground almonds which have skin included.

Fresh Coriander is Cilantro in North America. If you don't like it, and many people don't, just substitute fresh flat leaf parsley.

 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PASANDA

This is a really quick and easy dish to make. If you have all of your ingredients out and ready to go before you start, it goes together in a flash. I love quick and easy meals like this one.

1. Heat the ghee (vegetable oil) in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened. (I used my homemade ghee.)
2. Add the chicken pieces and bruised cardamom pods. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink and is opaque, without browning. (Bruising the cardamom pods helps to release their flavors.) (You don't want to brown the chicken or onions for this.)
3. Add the garlic/ginger paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric powder, chili powder (if using), salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the mixture becomes very fragrant and the chicken is well coated. (Heating the spices through like this before adding any liquid really enhances their flavors.)
4. Add the yogurt, almonds and the cream.
5. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer over medium low heat for 6 to 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and all of the flavors have melded nicely together. Stir in the fresh coriander. (Don't boil this rapidly as the sauce may split.)
6. Serve hot with rice and garnished with more coriander and the toasted flaked almonds. Delicious!

 

FOOD SAFETY WHEN DEALING WITH COOKED RICE

Cooked rice is one of those things that can make people really ill if not handled properly. A lot of people who get ill after eating an Asian meal will blame the food, when really it is more than likely the rice.  The entire surface of each grain of rice is ripe for bacteria to grow on. Multiply that by the number of grains of rice in a bowl and you can see how it can easily get out of hand. Here is what we were taught about keeping rice safe to eat when I was in Culinary School.

• Cool rice quickly after cooking and serving. The quickest way is to spread it out on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Do not let cooked rice sit out at room temperature for more than 1 to 2 hours maximum.
• Refrigerate cooled rice promptly in an airtight covered container.
• Consume properly chilled and stored rice within 24 hours.
• When reheating rice, make sure you reheat it thoroughly. It should reach an internal temperature of 165*F/74*C to kill any harmful bacteria. You should also stir it frequently when reheating to make sure there are no cold or cool pockets of rice which can harbor harmful bacteria.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME? 

Yes, this can be made ahead very easily. Make the curry as per the recipe instructions, cool and then place into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a day ahead.  Gently reheat over medium low heat until thoroughly heated through before serving.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

Absolutely. Simply multiply all of the ingredients by two. The original recipe made four servings.

CAN THIS BE FROZEN?

I do not recommend freezing this recipe because of the yogurt and the cream. The sauce would be prone to splitting.

 

A FEW OTHER CURRY

DISHES FOR YOU TO CONSIDER & ENJOY

CURRY COCONUT KING PRAWNS - The perfect supper for when the nights are beginning to draw in and you are wanting something rich and comforting.  Tender, juicy giant king prawns in a lush coconut curry sauce.  This is a delicious dish for the prawn lover which goes together very quickly and easily. 

LAMB ROGAN JOSH - A moderately spiced curry from Kashmir in the North of India. This is an area which is famous for its aromatic and sumptuous curries!  Melt-in-the-mouth tender pieces of lamb in a lush and creamy sauce.

  

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Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Chicken Pasanda

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A simple, creamy Indian style curry with a rich almond, yogurt and cream sauce. Delicious served with Basmati Rice and garnished with toasted almonds and chopped fresh coriander. This can easily be doubled to serve more people.

Ingredients

• 1 TBS ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 3/4-pound (270g) chicken breast meat or chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cardamom pods, bruised with the back of a knife.
• 2 tsp garlic/ginger paste (can use 1 clove of garlic minced and 1 tsp grated gingerroot)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp garam masala
• pinch of red chili powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup (120g) full fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy or whipping cream
• 1 heaped TBS ground almonds (almond meal)
• 1 TBS chopped fresh coriander

To garnish and serve:

• 1 TBS toasted flaked almonds
• 1 TBS chopped fresh coriander
• steamed rice

Instructions

1. Heat the ghee (vegetable oil) in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened.
2. Add the chicken pieces and bruised cardamom pods. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink and is opaque, without browning.
3. Add the garlic/ginger paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric powder, chili powder (if using), salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the mixture becomes very fragrant and the chicken is well coated.
4. Add the yogurt, almonds and the cream.
5. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer over medium low heat for 6 to 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and all of the flavors have melded nicely together. Stir in the fresh coriander.
6. Serve hot with rice and garnished with more coriander and the toasted flaked almonds. Delicious!

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