Anyone Can Cook!: Chicken & Potato Curry w/Spicy Tomato Chutney

This has got to be hands-down one of my favorite meals to eat on dark and stormy days, like today. A traditional Indian meal my mom used to cook for us growing up (and still does from time to time if I ask nicely).

The curry has a great flavor and the sauce has a puree-like texture to it.

The spicy tomato chutney is fairly simple to make and more than likely you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry. The best thing is the meal only takes about 30 minutes to cook.

My mom and I do differ in our recipes due to one key ingredient, the chicken! My mom uses whole bone-in chicken cut up into cubes, I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts.

A. Because I don't like dealing with the bones, and

B. Because Jim doesn't like dealing with the bones.

Same texture, same flavor, less mess.

You can use whichever you like, the end result will still be delicious!

Serves 4-6

First, grab your handy-dandy pedestal and mortar (if you don't have one, you can finely chop these two ingredients or use a food processor), add 3 garlic cloves, 1 serrano chile split into fourths and a dash of salt, & work it!

The end result will be a thick paste. You will have some chunks of chile skin left too, you can grind those down if you like but I think they add a great decorative flare.

Coat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot and heat. Add in half of a large sliced onion, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, 2 cardamom pods & 2-3 whole cloves. Let onions and spices sweat in pan until tender.

Add in your garlic paste, 2-3 dried curry leaves and mix well so all the flavors can combine.

Your kitchen should be smelling all kinds of AMAZING by now.

Add in 2 1/2 teaspoons of mixed* curry powder and mix well with a spoon to combine all ingredients creating a curry paste.

*Please note: curry powder is normally not sold "mixed" to mix combine 2 parts curry powder to 1 part turmeric powder and combine. In the end you should have a color similar to a mustard-ey golden brown.

Add in chicken cubes (I used 4 breasts), one tomato (cut into eighths) and two large potatoes (cut into large blocked cubes).

Mix together to coat all of the ingredients with the curry paste, add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and cook until all natural juices have almost evaporated.

Add in 1 1/2 cups of water.

Princess cup not required :)

Do not submerge your ingredients in the water, your ingredients and liquid should come to the same level. Bring to a boil, then turn temperature to low and let cook until potatoes are cooked through. Much of the liquid will reduce, resulting in a thicker sauce, to achieve the puree like texture mash a couple potato cubes in the pan.

Add in finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish and remove from heat.

For Spicy Tomato Chutney:

Add 1/2 of a sliced onion, one diced serrano pepper, a dash of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and 2 diced cloves of garlic to a saucepan coated with heated oil.

Sweat the onions and ingredients until the onions begin to caramelize.

In a bowl empty the contents of one can of whole, peeled tomatoes and mash. Add this mixture to the saucepan and bring to boil. Add salt (to taste),1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and one teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. (This will be spicy!) Cook for another 15 minutes and remove from heat.