Chicken Curry

I'm actually really proud of this dish. It tasted delicious but spicy, it's the first Indian food I've made, and the plating turned out well. It's really rare for me to be completely satisfied after cooking all day but this is one of those times. This dish is really spicy, like I'm literally sweating while I'm eating it. If you want to make it more mild you can add more heavy cream and if you want it spicier (I'm a whimp about spicy flavors)then add red pepper flakes but in my opinion the spice level is perfect for the Indian dish. I got this recipe from Aarti on the food network and made a few Klein twists.

Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press or finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large bite-size chunks

Curry Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch thumb ginger, peeled and minced
2 jalapeno pepper, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy) 1 with seeds
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons paprika
1 TBS curry powder
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves, optional
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh cilantro leaves, minced
Serving suggestion: Cooked rice, warm naan bread or crusty bread.

DIRECTIONS:
For the marinade:

In large bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Poke chicken with a fork, then add to marinade. Fold to cover and marinate at least 30 minutes, at most refrigerated overnight.

For the sauce:

1. When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat, and add the butter and olive oil. When butter has melted, add the garlic, ginger, and jalepeno pepper. Saute until lightly browned around the edges.

2. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the paprika and curry powder, and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

4. Add the tomatoes, salt, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Take the pan off the fire, and allow the sauce to cool for 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, fire up your broiler, and cover your broiler pan in foil. Pull the chicken thigh chunks out of the marinade and place on the sheet. Place under the broiler, and cook about 7 minutes on each side, until charred and cooked through. Cook's Note: Don't worry if the chicken is still a little uncooked, but very charred on the outside; you can finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.
Cook's Note 2: make sure to broil or grill the chicken because baking the yogurt covered chicken won't give it a good consistency, trust me. hah

6. Pour sauce into a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour back into the pan, and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.

7. Add cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro if you like, and serve over rice, with naan or a crusty piece of bread! To plate the curry fancy like pour just the red curry in and then add the cream later for a color contrast. When you mix everything up together to eat it, it'll taste the same.