Easy Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes. You use leg, thigh or mixed pieces if you prefer your chicken with bones

For the marinade:
1" piece ginger
6 garlic cloves
6-8 red chillies (more or less, depending on your preference for spice)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp curd
1 tsp salt

For the curry:
2 onions, finely diced
2 cloves
1" piece cinnamon
1 tbsp goan curry powder (see end of recipe)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tomatoes, finely diced
2 tbsp oil

Method:
From the marinade list, crush ginger, garlic and chillies together. I hand pound them but you could do a quick mix in the blender. You want a coarse paste. In a bowl or tupperware box, combine chicken pieces, ginger-garlic-chilli paste, turmeric, curd and salt. Leave in fridge to marinate 2 hours or longer. I usually do this in morning so that by dinner-time, the chicken has had enough time to absorb the flavors.

When ready to make the curry, in a wok or deep pan, heat the oil and add cloves and cinnamon. When the color starts to change (about 30 secs), add the onions. Fry on medium heat until the onions golden brown. Add the tomatoes, turmeric and curry powder, and continue sauteing for about 10 minutes or until the tomtoes turn pulpy. Add the chicken and saute for another 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, adjust salt, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Goan Curry Powder
I picked up some at the Mapusa market in Goa. The powder has a wonderful aroma, with a hint of spices that is not too over-powering. Here is one version - you could skip the coconut to vary flavor.

3/4 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 fresh green chilli
3 tablespoons coriander powder
2 tablespoons white poppy seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon ajwain seeds
10 cardamom pods
10 cloves
2 inch stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1. In a medium-sized pan or wok, roast the coconut over medium heat, stirring
continuously for about 8 minutes until it is golden and crispy. Transfer to a
bowl.
2. In the same pan or wok, dry roast the garlic and green chilli over
medium heat, stirring continuously for about 8 minutes until it is dry
and golden.
3. Place the remaining spices in the skillet and dry roast over medium heat,
stirring and shaking the pan until golden and very fragrant. Remove
and cool.
4. Mix all the roasted ingredients together and grind in a mixie until spices are finely ground like powder. You could do this in batches.
5. Pour into a plastic container, cover tightly, and store up to 3 months. To prolong life, I store my spices in the freezer.