I started making curries a few years ago. Normally, I wouldn’t use a recipe. I just use what I had on hand. Some onion, garlic, ginger, some sort of spicy pepper, and garam masala or curry powder. I’d make it with chicken, cauliflower, potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, or a mixture of all of the above. I think that’s the beauty of curry, just have fun, use what you have, and do what works for you.
One time, I decided to mess around with a curry that is a little more Thai inspired than Indian inspired and made a mango curry sauce. My roommate liked it so much, she told me I needed to write it down in case we were ever not roommates. So, here’s what I’ve come up with for my first written curry recipe.
Saute some onion and bell pepper. When I photographed this recipe, I didn’t have any bell pepper on hand. All I had was some of the mini sweet peppers. So, I sliced those up and used them instead. Like I said, one of my favorite things about curry is its flexibility.
When the onions and peppers have started to soften, add the ginger, garlic., and curry powder. You don’t want to add these too early, or else they’ll burn and get bitter by the time the onions and peppers are soft.
Then add your chicken, cooking until the chicken is just done.
While the chicken cooks, make the sauce. It’s such an easy sauce. You just throw everything in a blender: mango, coconut milk, and acid (vinegar/lime juice).
When the sauce is combined and the chicken is cooked, add the sauce to the skillet. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes with the chicken for the flavors to marry together and any raw-ness to cook off the sauce.
Sometimes I’ll make some homemade naan to go with the curry, or buy some naan, or make rice, turmeric rice or plain white rice. And garnish with some cilantro, green onions, or chives.
Mango Curry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2- 2 lb. chicken breast or thighs
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/2 bell pepper sliced or julienned
- 2 tsp. Grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 2 mangoes chopped
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 can coconut milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cilantro green onions, or chives for garnish
- Naan or rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Use the skillet of your choice: non-stick, stainless steel, or cast-iron. If not using a non-stick skillet, you may want to add a dash of oil to the pan before sautéing.
- While the pan is heating up, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Briefly sauté the onions and peppers. Once they have begun to soften, add the ginger, garlic, and spices and cook for a minute or two.
- Add the chicken to the pan, along with some salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken for about 7-8 minutes, or until cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, make the sauce in a blender by combining the diced mango, coconut milk, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Once the chicken is cooked, pour the sauce into the pan and stir to combine everything together.
- Cook the sauce for a couple minutes to cook the rawness off the sauce.
- Garnish with some cilantro, green onions, or chives. And serve with buttered naan, or your favorite preparation of rice.
