Curry is something different to everyone that makes it. Like "soup" it is a general description of a type of dish with wide variation. I like mine fairly hot so I use lots of peppers... mostly cayenne and serreno.

My curried chicken starts with broth made from the skin and bones of a smoked chicken. Once I have the flavor out I remove and dispose of the skin and bones. I add a can of coconut milk, some cumin, some cayenne powder, and curry spices. This curry "gravy" type dish is then spooned over cooked rice or lentils. Sometimes I add mushrooms that seem to soak up much of the hot pepper.

Another easy "curry" that I make is to mash some green peas with a bit of olive oil in a frying pan and add curry spices to taste. Makes a great chip dip for corn chips!

It took me a year of living with an Indian and many more years of working on making curry before I began to get what I expected and desired. A wonderful food adventure that has spanned decades of my life. When I started curry powder was not available locally and I spent much of my time working with cumin, tumeric, cloves, allspice, and many other spices trying to get that curry flavor out of them.

Perhaps look in the grocery store for prepackaged curry dishes to give them a try and get ideas of where you want to go. Curried spinach and "Bombay Potatoes" are favorites that I find imported from India and sold in boxed foil pouches. I really like the Thai Kichen brand of curry paste and have both red and green varieties in my fridge. Lars gave me the idea to try curry paste and mayo mixed together!... very delicious twist on a cheeseburger.

: )
lyra

Bobby I've never heard of sprinkling curry powder dry onto meat or chicken. A purchased, ready-made curry powder is normally mixed into a sauce. Here's a very simple recipe which I used with Sharwood's curry powders. I usually buy Hot Madras and Mild and mix them. This recipe comes from the back of the tin.
Try this one first....it's very easy and tasty, and can also be used for shrimp, beef or lamb.

Sharwood's Chicken Curry
-----------------------------

1. Peel and chop 1 onion, 1 apple. Fry in 2 TBS oil.
Add 1 TBS curry powder (I add more - up to 2 TBS depending on how hot it is), 1 level TBS flour
and fry gently for 1 minute.

2. Blend in 3/4 pint stock - ( just under 2 cups) , (I use 2 chicken stock cubes ), bring to boil, add 1 TBS chutney
(I use Sharwood's Mango Chutney), 60 grams of sultana raisins (small handful) and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Dice 225 grams (8 oz) chicken, add to sauce, season with salt and simmer very gently 10 - 15 minutes.
Serve over boiled rice, with chutney and condiments such as sliced banana, pineapple, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts sprinkled over top.

*****************************************

And here are excerpts from a book written by a friend who made great curries:

* Posted by: Canarybird (My Page) on Tue, Apr 5, 05 at 15:36

Here are recipes from a great cook and restaurant owner that I knew in Palma de Mallorca. She wrote her own cookbook of recipes that made her restaurant well known among the local people there. I've made many of these, including the garam masala. People would line up waiting to dine on her curries:

Note: The original recipes are given in metric measures and I've tried to give the best equivalents in cups & spoons. If you have metric kitchen scales, use the original measurements for greater accuracy.

GARAM MASA
*********************
3/4 cup (100 grams) ground black pepper corns
1/4 cup (100 grams) ground coriander seeds
1/2 cup (75 grams) ground caraway seeds
3.5 TBS (25 grams) ground cloves
20 large ground cardamons
3.5 TBS (25 grams) ground cinammon
These are best ground in a coffee grinder, not too fine and kept in an airtight jar.

LAMB CURRY
*****************
4.5 lbs (2 kilos) lamb - best is that trimmed from the leg and cut into (3/4 inch)(2 cm) squares
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) onion chopped
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) tomatoes chopped
2 good tablespoons garam masäla
1 cup water
1 sweet green (bell) pepper
1 teasp turmeric
1 teasp ginger - best is fresh, grated
1 teasp ground chillies
vegetable oil or ghee
garlic
fresh herbs
salt & pepper
lemon
small pot plain yoghourt

1) Cut the meat into pieces of the desired size, removing excess fat.
2) Fry the onions, garlic, ginger, peppers and herbs in the oil or butter. Add the turmeric and garam masäla, salt and pepper.
3) Mix well and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the meat and keep stirring for a little longer.
4) Add tomatoes, fry for two to three minutes, put lid on saucepan and continue to simmer for about 40 minutes. If it gets too dry, add hot water. Simmer until tender, adding water when necessary.
5) Add a squeeze of lemon and finally a pot of yoghourt. Serve with boiled rice, chutneys, pickles and, if desired bananas.

MIXED FRUIT CHUTNEY
******************************
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) cooking apples
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) dried prunes
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) dried apricots
3/4 cup (200 grams) sultanas
1 packet brown sugar (not sure but think that's 1 lb)
2 cups (half litre) wine vinegar
two teasp garam masäla
2 teasp ground chillies
12 cloves garlic mashed
3/4 cup (100 grams) ground ginger
salt
1) Soak dried fruit and later cut them in small pieces.
2) Core and thinly peel the apples and cut into small pieces.
3) Put fruit and rest of ingredients in large enamel saucepan and boil on a medium heat for about 35 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
4) Remove from heat, cool and bottle.

INDIAN SAUCE
*******************
3 eating apples
2 small onions
3 peeled tomatoes
6 green chillies
1 large cucumber
4 green peppers
salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
vinegar

1) Cut up all the ingredients very finely and mix well together.
2) Add cayenne and salt and cover with vinegar.
You can use it immediately but it will improve with age and keeps a long time.

BEETROOT CHUTNEY
*****************************
2.2 lbs (1 kilo)of beets (beetroot)
1 lb (1/2 kilo) cooking apples, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups (1/2 liter) wine vinegar
salt - sorry - here there are no amounts
sugar " "
ginger " "
juice of 1 lemon

1) Boil the beetroots until tender. Peel and dice in small pieces.
2) Chop onions and apples. Put into enamel saucepan with vinegar, sugar and spices and boil for 20 minutes.
3) Add diced beets and boil for another quarter of an hour, stirring from time to time to prevent burning.
4) Cool and bottle.

RÃITA
*********
Strictly speaking Räita is curd but plain yoghurt either homemade or bought serves just as well with the following additions as a relish.

MINT AND ONION
*********************
1 large carton plain yoghurt
1 1/2 teasp caraway seeds
1 teasp garam masäla
1 teasp chilli powder (hot red pepper - not for chili con carne)
salt
3 medium onions finely sliced
3 TBS coarsely chopped mint
Mix all the ingredients and keep in the refrigerator.

CUCUMBER
***************
Made as above except substitute raw finely diced cucumber instead of the onions and mint.

CURRY FOR ONE
**********************
This recipe from a friend of the book author who spent several years in Arabia and often had to fend for himself.Recipe is casually vague (!)
1 large onion chopped small
1 teaspoon curry powder - or garam masäla if you have made it
1 TBS tomato puree
1 TBS vinegar
required amount of beef, lamb or fish
handful of raisins
few potatoes
salt
oil

1) Fry the onion in the oil until translucent.
2) Add the curry powder, tomato puree, vinegar, meat or fish, raisins, salt and diced potatoes.
3) Cook gently for about half an hour. Serve with boiled rice and chutney.

MARROW CHUTNEY
**************************
4.5 lbs (2 kilos) marrow - must be green
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) onions
2 2/3 cups (600) grams sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
3.5 TBS (25 grams) turmeric
3.5 TBS (25 grams) powdered mustard
1.5 TBS (10 grams) powdered ginger
6 chillies
6 cups (1 1/2 liters) wine vinegar

1) Peel and clean marrow and cut into very small squares. Sprinkle with salt and leave for 12 hours. Drain for 3 hours and dry as much as possible.
2) Cut onions into small pieces.
3) Boil sugar in the vinegar. Mix all the powdered spices with a little of the vinegar left on the side.
4) Add marrow and onions. Boil together for half an hour or until tender. Stir well with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking and burning.
5) Turn into a pan to cool off, then bottle.

Source: 'The Bar We Found'
Anne Oates - Palma de Mallorca 1972

SharonCb

This is one of those recipes that will surprise you. It is very easy and very good - as long as you aren't Cream of ___________ soup phobic! I sub boneless skinless breasts for the chicken pieces and just saute them quickly and chop them into bite sized pieces rather than browning and messing with the cooked chicken on the bones.

Alexa

***********************************************************
Golden Chicken Curry

A spicy home substitute for the expensive golden curry
found in the grocery store. Serve over jasmine rice for
best flavor. Makes 5 to 6 servings.
Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by Teresa Smith
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 (2 to 3 pound) whole
chicken, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed
cream of chicken soup
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces golden raisins

Directions
1 Rub the chicken with garam masala and garlic powder. In
a large saute pan, over medium heat brown chicken in
olive oil in a large pot.
2 Remove chicken and saute onions in the same oil, until
golden. Return the chicken to the pan and cover with the
broth. Simmer until the meat is tender and can be easily
picked off of the bone. Remove the chicken to cool.
3 Mix the soup into the broth in the pan, then add the
potatoes and the curry. Simmer until tender. As soon as the
chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the
skin and bones and, if necessary, cut into bite size
pieces. When the potatoes are done, add the meat to the potato
mixture and heat through. You may add golden raisins at this
point if desired, adjust seasonings and serve!

I like curried chicken salad.
To chopped up chicken, add coconut, golden raisins, and chopped toasted almonds.
Add curry powder to taste to mayonnaise ( I use fat free sour cream often ) and mix all together.
This is good served with pita bread and sliced mango.

Here's a mild recipe if you're new to the flavor of curry powder.

HONEY CURRIED CHICKEN

4 bone-in chicken or boneless chicken breasts or 1 cut up chicken
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbs. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder
2 Tbs. dark rum

Place chicken skin side up in shallow baking dish and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine remaining ingredients, stirring well. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake for one hour (45 min. or less for boneless breasts), basting occasionally with sauce.

Note: I usually use skinless bone-in breasts so I turn them over halfway through the cooking time. I also melt the butter in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave and then add the honey and orange juice directly to it so I dont dirty measuring cups.

I was going to say what bumblebeez did! I love curried chicken salad. I make "plain" chik salad for DH, then take some of the plan for me, add curry powder, and if I ahve them grapes or raisins or dried cranberries and/or pinenuts.

I also use Mayo with curry powder as a dip for veggies. Especially good with cold cooked asparagus.

As others have said, curry comes in many forms. My generic curry goes like this:

Jim's Curry

Saute chopped, cooked meat and vegetables (your choice of potatoes, carrots, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.) in an ample amount of butter. Include a sweet fruit such as apple or pear. Whatever you choose as vegetables, be sure to include potatoes and onions. Parboil the harder vegetables (carrot, potato) first to soften them. While sauteing the vegetables, add salt, pepper and a couple of tablespoons of curry powder. Sun brand Madras Curry powder has the nicest fragrance I have found. It is very good. But other curry powders are OK. Add a small amount of tomato in any form, whether fresh tomato, tomato sauce, salsa or ketchup. Add liquid as required to make a nice sauce. Cook long enough to mingle the flavors and make everything yummy. Serve with rice, Basmati preferred. This curry is different every time you make it. Always good though. Jim

A Pakistani ex-husband of a friend's sister (got that??) taught me this one...
Mix curry powder with yogurt....about 1 tsp ( depends on your curry powder how much you add) per cup of yogurt, marinate chicken pieces, with the skin and bone on, cut the breast in 4 pieces...marinate fora bout an hour and grill...or bake in a 375 oven intill the temperature of the thigh measures 155...
When I have time I will post the recipe for Margaret's Shrimp curry....
Linda C

My favorite way to roast a duck is to coat the duck with a mixture of honey and curry powder. Simple and delicious.

Jim

Your chicken breasts might have been better if they'd had the skin left on. Curry powder needs moisture to work properly, and the fat from the chicken skins would have provided that. Even a squirt of cooking oil would have improved matters. Think of it as you do ordinary flour. You wouldn't eat it straight and dry, but it's very useful once you add moisture (and other things) to it!

So if you don't want to do the 'proper' curry thing (I always think of curries as variations on the 'stew' theme), try using it in simple ways. For instance, add a pinch or two to scrambled eggs (mix it in), or to mashed boiled eggs for a sandwich, or to a stuffed-egg mixture.

Mix a little with mayonnaise and coat chicken legs with it before crumbing. Add some to oil to baste barbecued meats and/or veges. Add a little to a meatball or meatloaf mixture. Put some in the pan when wet-frying fish.

BTW, there are as many versions of curry powder as there are recipes for using it!

Here's a very simple recipe for 'crackers' you could try:

Curry Knots
60g butter
125g flour
2 teaspoons curry powder
pinch salt
egg yolk or water to mix

Rub the butter into the flour, add the sifted curry powder and salt, mix well. Make a stiff but pliable dough with egg yolk or water. Knead well to remove any cracks, and roll into a long strip about 5mm thick. Cut narrow strips about 15cm long and tie each into a simple knot. Brush over with beaten egg yolk and bake at 200°C for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Here's a recipe I resurect every few years....and people act like they have never had it before! LOL!
I think it's best in the winter or fall....as an acompanyment to a ham or roast pork or even chicken meal.
Curried Fruit , hot
1 can (16oz.) pear halves
1 can (12oz.) pineapple chunks
1 can (16oz.) peach halves
1 can (16oz.) apricot halves
1 small jar maraschino cherries
1/2 to 3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 t. each cinnamon and nutmeg
1 TB (or a little less) curry powder, to taste
1/3 to 1/2 c. butter, soft
Arrange drained fruits in a buttered, shallow 2 qt. baking dish. Place cherries in the center of the fruits. Combine butter, sugar, and spices and crumble over the fruit. Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes. Better if baked a day in advance and reheated just before serving.

Linda C

Bobby,

I for "curry in a hurry" (wink), I use Patak's Curry Paste, either mild or hot, depending on my mood. IMO, a good curry paste gives you everything a curry dry mix will, and it's easier!

Publix carries it and even Albertson's. It's in the "ethnic" section.

For a basic curry dish, I first sautee up some chopped chicken in EVOO, add whatever mixture of fresh veggies (usually onions and green peppers, one each), and cook those with the chicken till they're soft (about 3 min). I then add a good, heaping tablespoon of the curry paste (sometimes more if I want more curry flavor), plus one can of lite coconut milk (less calories), about a cup of chicken broth, and a cup of frozen peas. Simmer for 10-15 min.

Spoon over basmati rice. YUM!

This is my absolute #1 go-to curry dish when I want curry without the fuss. I can even do this in my pressure cooker.

Thanks everyone. The recipes all look good. I think the first one I try will be Ruthanna's honey curried chicken.

Here's a variation of ruthanna's that I use--it's called Curried Honey Mustard Chicken. It's a fave of ours, and my DH, who does NOT like mustard, likes this dish! I think this recipe is from the allrecipes site.

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon-style prepared mustard
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
optional dash of cumin

In a medium bowl combine the melted butter/margarine, honey, mustard, curry powder and cayenne powder. Mix well.

Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour honey/mustard mixture over chicken. Cover and place in refrigerator.

Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Remove dish from refrigerator and bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove cover and bake about 10 minutes more, or until done and juices run clear (baking time will depend a little on how thick your chicken breasts are).

I do like many of ther others have said and sautee my choice of meat with onions, peppers, sometimes more veggies, sprinkle with curry powder and then I add cream, half and half or milk (depending on what I have) to make a sauce. I don't use coconut milk (which is traditional) because I don't like coconut.
I also make a basic white sauce and add curry to it as a sauce for boiled eggs. This then gets served with rice also. Great way to use up Easter eggs when you get tired of egg salad.
Lisa