This is one of my all time favorite dishes. It’s easy to prepare, delicious and best of all, healthy to boot. It’s a real family favorite and just perfect for entertaining. This dish could easily be made well in advance and gently reheated in a low oven just before serving.


OVEN BAKED CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients:

10-12 pieces of skinless bone-in chicken (legs and thighs work best)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1” piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced
3-4 small Thai green chilies, slit in half lengthwise
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 stick of cinnamon, broken into smaller pieces
4-5 large cloves
2-3 green cardamom pods, crushed
2 allspice berries
1 star anise
6-8 black peppercorns
salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp red chili powder, to taste
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp orange blossom honey, to taste
2-3 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
fresh lemon or lime wedges for garnish

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small dry skillet on medium heat, combine the cinnamon stick with the cloves, cardamom pods, allspice berries, star anise & black peppercorns. Gently toast until slightly brown and fragrant. Quickly remove from the heat, let cool and using a spice grinder or clean coffee mill grind into a fine powder. Set aside until needed.

In a large deep oven-proof skillet on medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of the oil and start browning off the chicken pieces – just a couple minutes on each side is fine. You may need to do this in batches. Set aside until needed.

Now to the same pan, add a little more oil only if needed. When hot, add the onions along with the garlic, ginger and green chilies. Sauté until the onions are golden brown (about 6-8 minutes). Next, add the salt along with the freshly ground spices, as well as, the rest of the spices (turmeric, ground coriander powder, ground cumin powder, garam masala, red chili powder and freshly grated nutmeg). Mix well to combine all of the ingredients and let the spices fry for just a few minutes. Now add in the chopped tomatoes along with any of their juices. Stir well to combine and then add the honey, tomato paste and a little water (about ½ a cup or so). Cook for a few minutes and then add the chicken pieces back to the pan. Mix well, making sure the chicken pieces are immersed into the curry sauce. Sauté for a few more minutes, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven on the center rack. If you do not have an oven proof skillet, simply transfer the chicken and the onion masala mixture to a large deep baking dish or casserole. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through but still juicy and moist. Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and lemon/lime wedges. Serve with warm rotis and Basmati rice.



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