A Taste of Home: Revisting My Mom's Recipe for Warming Chicken Curry
Nothing says comfort more than one of mom's recipes. And while this can be anything from hot pies to lamb shanks depending on the family, for me it’s the simmering sound of beef braised with potatoes served over a bed of freshly cooked rice.
My mom’s recipes hearken back to a time when the whole room would smell like freshly-baked potatoes, picturing it in a photo that would resemble a classic Sunday dinner with my dad and sometimes my cousins.
With that in mind, I’d like to revisit one of her favorite family recipes that she used to serve us when winter arrived each year.
Ingredients
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 200 g of green beans
- 500 g of chicken breast
- 2 sticks of celery, diced
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 50 g curry powder
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 tsp Chinese rice wine
- 1 tsp Chinese soy sauce
Method
1. Prepare all the ingredients you need. Make sure to wash the carrots, celery and potatoes thoroughly before chopping.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into one inch pieces and season with salt. Add the teaspoon of rice wine and soy sauce. Combine everything and let it stand for about 15 minutes.
3. Place a pan over high heat. Once it's smoking hot, add in the tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then, add in the chicken pieces – cook in batches to prevent crowding if needed – and cook until they're slightly golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
4 Lower the heat to medium high and add the second tablespoon of vegetable oil and the onions. Stir-fry until they're slightly translucent before adding the carrots, celery, green beans and potatoes. Cook everything for six to seven minutes or until softened, then add the water.
5. Stir in the curry powder, sugar and salt. Continue to stir and then let simmer for one minute, then add the chicken, the soy sauce, cooking wine, and bring it to a simmer and continue cooking for about 20 minutes until the water begins to boil.
6. Keep stirring the mixture until all the liquid has been reduced and absorbed, about two to three minutes. Then your chicken curry is good to go!
Notes:
1. I wouldn’t change a thing about my mom’s recipes. But for the curry powder, taste differs from person to person. My mom uses a Japanese brand called Baimengduo curry powder. It's up to you to choose which powder you want to use, but choose wisely! It's an essential ingredient that can make or break the entire dish.
2. My mom likes to use white onions in this recipe as they're sweeter than the red variety. But if you are really all about that hot and spicy sensation, opt for red.
3. Chicken legs are a good alternative to chicken breasts for this dish. They are softer, more tender, and easier to cook. They also taste a little meatier than chicken breasts.
4. To up the nutrition factor, pour in as many veggies as you like. My mom would even add shrimp to this dish from time to time (not a vegetable, I know) for a good dose of Vitamin E.
Read: When The Moon Gets Full, Its Time To Fill Up On Crab Roe
Images: Irene Li, Meishijie
