Chicken simmered in a tomato-based curry sauce that is not hot spicy but deeply satisfying. This is a contender in the top comfort food stews. The Indian spices warm your soul.
It is said this southern stew originated in the ports of Charleston or Savannah which traded with India. Another theory is the trade ships between India and Canton were called ‘Country Ships,’ and the masters of them ‘Country Captains.’ Google it and have fun!
It’s hard to find a recipe like this for Country Captain Chicken because most popular recipes call for curry powder. The not-so-secret secret to making the best curry flavored dishes is to not use curry powder. I have the curry spices, even in my Tiny Kitchen spice cubby. If you don’t have room for the spices substitute Madras curry powder to taste, but it won’t have the same rich flavor.
Buy the whole spices, toast them whole in a dry cast iron skillet until fragrant, and then either grind them in a spice grinder or crush them in the mortar and pestle. In my Tiny Kitchen, I use the coffee grinder and my coffee tastes a little more interesting the next day. The second choice is to buy the individual spices in powder form and toast them. I keep some whole spices and some powdered spices in my Tiny Kitchen spice cubby.
For this recipe to truly be successful don’t omit anything, including toasting the spices. Note the use of the holy trinity; onions, celery, and pepper .
You can prepare this recipe entirely in an Instant Pot, but it will be better if you also use a cast iron skillet.
EQUIPMENT: Instant Pot, cast iron skillet
Tags
chicken Curries Curry CurryRecipes IndianFood IndianRecipes