Guyanese Chicken Curry Food

GUYANESE CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• In a blender, combine medium onion, head of garlic, thyme leaves, pepper, and 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth and thick like a smoothie.
• Wash and clean chicken (see below). Remove fat, chop into 3-inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towel, set aside.
• Add 2 tbsp of the seasoning to chicken plus 1 tsp curry powder. Massage into meat, let it rest for 1/2 hour minimum. Store remaining seasoning in a container in fridge for use in another recipe.
• In a bowl, mix 4 heaping tbsp fresh seasoning, 4 tbsp masala, 3 tsbp curry powder, 1/2 tsp geera, and 1/3 cup water into a paste.
• Heat an iron pot with 6 tbsp oil. Add masala-curry powder paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture looks darker and not watery .
• Add chicken to pot and stir to coat with masala-curry powder mixture.
• Cover pot and let chicken cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat stirring every once in a while. Remove lid and allow water from chicken to evaporate. Chicken will then start to look "dry." Add salt and turn chicken.
• Add enough boiling water to cover chicken.
• Add tomato paste, and chopped potatoes, cover with lid.
• Let curry boil on medium-high heat until gravy has reduced by one-third and thickens to your desire.
• When curry is done, sprinkle a little geera on top and garnish with fresh scallions.

CHICKEN CURRY AND ROTI

Steps:

• PREP:.
• Cut the chicken into bit size pieces. Add garlic and mix into chicken.
• In a separate bowl mix all of the spices and curry powder together (but not the bay leaves). Slowly add spice mixture into chicken/garlic while mixing by hand to ensure even coverage. Set the mixed chicken aside to sit for a while while you make the Roti.
• ROTI:.
• Boil water and let the water cool until you can handle it with your hands (you'll be kneading the Roti dough).
• Mix 4 cups of flour with the salt and then add the hot water until it is moist but not sticky. You want the consistency of a flat dough that will be rolled out using a wooden rolling pin.
• Take a little more than half a stick of room temperature butter and add it to the flour and water mixture. This will keep the dough from sticking to your hand and itself.
• Use judgment for rolling consistency. Flour flat surface and rolling pin and form dough into balls. Roll balls out to flat and thin consistency, about 6-7 inches. Heat up your frying pan to medium-high heat.
• (Note: Sometimes, I do this using two pans to make it go faster). Take a paper towel and use oil to rub onto pan before each roti that you cook. The roti will form small brown spots on each side when done. Do not overcook, it should never be stiff. When done in the pan, put on a plate lined with paper towels and cover with a dish towel to keep it warm.
• After my Roti is done, I begin with the curry -- although you can always do both at the same time too.
• CURRY:.
• Pour just enough oil to cover the bottom of a large pot. Place 4 bigger bay leaves into the pot and warm oil on medium for a few minutes (before the bay leaves turn brown).
• Turn heat to high and add chicken. Cook at high heat stirring every minute for 10 minutes, then turn to medium/medium low heat. Use your judgment when cooking at high heat because you don't want the chicken to stick or burn. If the pot is lacking any liquid from the high temperature, add small amounts of water or chicken stock. As the chicken cooks longer, the juices are released. Use your judgment.
• 5 minutes after turning the heat from high to medium/medium low, add the cubed potatoes and eggplant. When potatoes are done, the curry is done. Make sure the eggplant is dissolved into the curry.
• You're all finished! Use the curry to scoop up your meal; no silverware required!