Basic Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil
• 2 large onions, sliced thin
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 1/4 pounds (1 kilogram) chicken pieces of your choice, skin removed
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), for garnish

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat and fry the onions until golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn off heat, keeping oil in the pan.
3. Grind the onions into a smooth paste in a food processor. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
4. In the food processor, grind the tomatoes, garlic paste, and ginger paste together into a smooth paste.
5. Heat the oil in the skillet again and add the onion paste. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and all the spices—coriander, cumin, turmeric, and red chili and garam masala powders. Mix well. (This is called masala.)
6. Fry the masala until the oil begins to separate from it.
7. Add the chicken to the masala and brown well, about 8 minutes.
8. Add 1 1/2 cups of hot water to the chicken, simmer, and cover. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot chapatis (Indian flatbread), naans (tandoor-baked Indian flatbread), or basmati rice.