Easy Chicken Curry

By Mark Bittman

Easy Chicken Curry
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(4,525)
Comments
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Weeknight cooking doesn't get any easier than this endlessly adaptable five-ingredient, 30-minute curry from Mark Bittman. Sauté a pile of chopped onions in a little oil, then stir in curry powder (or red curry paste for Thai flavors). Pour in a can of coconut milk and swirl to combine. Add chicken, simmer until it's cooked through and finish with some chopped tomatoes. And dinner is served! This recipe lends itself to experimentation, so change it up. Be generous with spices. Toss in chopped bell pepper or carrots with the onions. Add a can of drained chickpeas or a generous handful of fresh spinach with the tomatoes. Instead of chicken, try shrimp, duck, turkey, firm fish, tofu, lump crab meat or beef. Just watch the cooking time: Fish, shrimp and crab cook faster than other meats. Also, don't forget to season as you go with salt and pepper.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons canola, corn or other neutral oil
  • 2large onions, peeled and sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2teaspoons curry powder
  • 1can unsweetened coconut milk (1½ to 2 cups)
  • 1½pounds peeled shrimp or boneless chicken, cut into ¾- to 1-inch chunks
  • 1cup peeled, seeded and diced tomato (canned is fine; cut up and drain before using)
  • Chopped basil or mint for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

447 calories; 29 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 961 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place oil in a large skillet; turn heat to medium-high. A minute later, add onions, along with a generous pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and almost falling apart, 15 minutes or more. Stir in curry powder, and cook, stirring, for another minute or so.

  2. Step 2

    Add coconut milk, and cook until it thickens, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, and stir, then cook until done, 3 to 6 minutes. (If you use shrimp, keep in mind that it cooks a little faster than chicken; if you are in doubt about whether chicken is done, cut into a piece.)

  3. Step 3

    Add tomato, and cook another minute; adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve over rice, garnished with basil or mint, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,525 user ratings
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Comments

Chal Pivik

Yes, agreed. Thai curry paste is worth seeking out, preferably made with kefir lime leaf and shrimp paste. Salmon filet cut into pieces is delicious too. Grating in lime zest makes it maddeningly flavorful. After heat is turned off, squeeze in lime juice and stir in chopped fresh cilantro.

Vinay

To take this up a notch, add ginger, garlic, while you saute the onions. When you add coconut milk, add some red pepper, peppercorn, and if you want it really spicy, some split green chilis. Finally at the end add fresh coriander leaves. Another way to do this is to marinate chicken for an hour or with above spices and some yogurt and lemon. Have fun experimenting.

Mary

For greater depth of flavour, cook the onions till very soft and a little browned, and simmer the coconut milk for a few minutes until it's thicker. Maybe other curry spices instead of just curry powder? Turmeric, cayenne, cumin?

P C Bear

I used a lot of the suggestions - sautéed the onion with fresh ginger and garlic, used more curry powder, added some red pepper flakes, turmeric, coriander and cumin (powders), and still felt it a little lacking. Added lime juice which helped. But what really brought it all together was adding some plain yogurt ( I used Greek , no fat). It made a big difference.

Marisa

I only had half an onion in the fridge and it still turned out great. Did have to watch the onion closely so as not to burn. I also added a large clove of garlic and some ground ginger and let it cook a minute before adding the curry powder.

Pjk

This recipe is appealing because it is quick and easy. It is also bland and disappointing. If you follow the recipe re: adding in the coconut milk while the ingredients in the pan are hot it will curdle. There is an old comment in the chain that explains this. I was scratching my head trying to figure out what happened so I very much appreciate that information.

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