Indian Raisin Curry

October 12, 2012 · 0 comments

Indian Raisin Curry

When I was growing up, this was a regular dish in the weeknight rotation. In fact, Indian Raisin Curry was one of the first meals I learned to make in my own kitchen as an adult and I believe the same can be said of my brother. I’ve updated the recipe a bit from my mother’s original, swapping flavorful chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts, removing the flour (used to thicken the sauce) and adding coconut milk. I also like to serve it over brown rice instead of traditional white. I love this dish in the fall when the air has turned cool and the apples are plentiful.

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin coconut oil
2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mild curry
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup chicken broth
5.5 oz. can coconut milk (full fat)
2 apples (I used Pink Lady but also like Braeburn for this recipe), chopped
3/4 cup raisins

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Spread the chicken in one layer along the hot skillet, then sprinkle lightly with salt. Saute the chicken until no longer pink, but not yet thoroughly cooked through. Remove chicken and accumulated juices and set aside.
Melt the coconut oil in the skillet over medium high. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have started to soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the curry, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir another few minutes. The mixture will be very fragrant. Add the broth and the coconut milk to the pan, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add the chicken and juices back to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the apples and raisins to the pan and allow to heat through. Serve over brown rice.
Quick Tips
1. It would be easy to substitute extra firm tofu for the chicken. If you use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth, the dish becomes vegan (and it’s still gluten free, in case you care!).
2. Green bell pepper has a strong taste that I don’t mind, but many people find disagreeable. If you don’t like green pepper, substitute red and get a pop of color at the same time.
3. Trust me on the full fat coconut milk. You want the flavor and the creaminess it adds to the sauce. Don’t sweat the fat. Really.
4. I’ve recently started using extra virgin coconut oil. It’s making a comeback after some bad PR. Yes, it’s saturated fat but it’s actually not thought to be harmful in the way other saturated fats, like butter and lard, can be. More reading on this topic here.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

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