Chicken Curry Reworked
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Braised chicken breasts simmered in a spiced green apple and onion sauce thickened with flour, infused with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and clove. Finished optionally with cream and brightened with lemon juice. Balanced sweet-sour notes from honey and ketchup. Served with basmati rice and surrounded by contrasting accouterments like dried fruits and nuts for texture and flavor play. The recipe calls for poaching chicken first to keep it tender and avoid dryness. Aromatics cooked slowly build depth, while a blender smooths the sauce into a velvety consistency. Variations provided to adapt to available ingredients while retaining complex spice layers.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#Caribbean
#chicken
#curry
#poaching
#spices
#slow simmer
#comfort food
Chicken curry. Always a dance between heat, sweet, sour, and spice. Learned to avoid dry tough meat by poaching gently. That first simmer, just below boiling. The smell of apple caramelizing with onion. The sizzle when adding curry powder—toast those spices or risk dull flavor. Flour? Thickener but must cook fully to avoid rawness. Slow simmer makes sauce jammy, thick enough to cling but never gluey. Then blending changes everything—the sauce creamy, shiny, irresistible. The spices come alive here; cinnamon adds warmth, cardamom and clove whisper complexity, ginger pulls it forward. Toss cubes of tender chicken back in, stir in cream if you dare, but optional. Serve with rice—must be basmati, fluffy, separate grains. Side snacks are fun: crunchy nuts, sweet fruits, chutneys that surprise in bite. I skip the em dash in all written notes—personal quirk. This curry, comfort and celebration all at once.
Ingredients
- 5 or 6 split chicken breasts
- 130 ml olive oil
- 2 tart green apples
- 2 medium onions sliced thin
- 50 ml curry powder
- 50 ml all-purpose flour
- 1 large carrot diced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 15 ml ketchup
- 450 ml chicken broth
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 5 ml Dijon mustard
- 12 ml honey
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 ml ground ginger
- 1 ml ground cardamom
- 1 ml ground clove
- 45 ml heavy cream 35% optional
- Substitute chicken thighs for breasts in dry climates
- Use garam masala instead of curry powder for different heat profile
About the ingredients
Poach chicken breasts for tender moistness rather than frying dry meat. Olive oil brings moderate heat tolerance and fruity undertones; switch to vegetable oil if budget tight but lose nuance. Green apples—tartness crucial—replace with Granny Smith or crisp sour apple, but avoid sweet types or sauce veers cloying. Curry powder varies widely; use a blend balanced of turmeric, coriander, cumin—not just heat. I swap flour type to all-purpose for better thickening than whole wheat—no grit. Carrot and celery add background sweetness and texture; never skip. Cinnamon stick is air-dried, whole—ground alone is harsh in this case. For tricky balance, ketchup helps deep umami and slight acidity, honey brings mellow counterpoint. Cream optional to soothe. Classic Dijon mustard gives a subtle sharpness that layers complexity, easy to find and shelf-stable. If out, dry mustard powder can be used but less punch. Adapt with local ingredients but keep acid, fat, sweet, spice balance intact. Nut and dried fruit platters around add dimension in meal experience.
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to low simmer. Submerge chicken breasts and gently poach for about 25 minutes until cooked but still moist. Avoid a rolling boil that tightens meat fibers resulting in toughness. Drain and let cool slightly.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy pan over medium flame. Toss in sliced apples and onions. Sauté until onions soften and apples begin to caramelize, about 6 minutes total. Smell the sweet fruitiness deepen.
- Stir in curry powder, stirring constantly to toast the spices and prevent burning. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until spices bloom and the mixture darkens in color. Sprinkle flour over and stir for another 5 minutes. Flour adds body, letting sauce cling better instead of running thin.
- Add diced carrot and celery, then pour in chicken broth along with ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, honey. Toss in cinnamon stick and ground spices. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered. The sauce thickens slowly as water evaporates and flavors marry. About 55 minutes give or take—watch for reduced glossy sheen and sauce that coats the back of a spoon. Remove cinnamon stick.
- Transfer sauce to blender or use stick blender. Puree until silky smooth. Pass through sieve if texture off. Pour back into pan.
- Cut poached chicken into cubes or bite-sized chunks. Fold gently into sauce. Heat through on lowest flame to meld flavors, 5 to 8 minutes—don’t boil or chicken toughens.
- Swirl in cream if using. Adds richness and tames sharp spice edges. Adjust salt and acidity here if needed.
- Serve in a warm bowl atop fluffy basmati rice. Surround with contrasting sides like toasted pistachios, sliced bananas, chutneys (mango, peach), coconut flakes, chopped figs and prunes or roasted cashews. Play textural counterpoints off the curry’s lushness.
- Tips: If sauce too sour, honey tempers acidity. Too thick, add broth to loosen slowly. If lack fresh lemon, swap with vinegar cautiously. For short on time, poach chicken first, prepare sauce in advance and reheat gently to assemble.
Cooking tips
Poaching is a key to chicken magic here—don’t rush or boil violently. Simmer at low gentle bubbles. Overcooked or high temp tightens muscle fibers, meat turns rubbery. Sauté apples and onions slowly on medium, you’ll see edges golden and sweet smell rises. Toasting powder curry on stovetop activates flavor compounds, but watch carefully—it burns fast and turns bitter. Cook flour into mixture fully to avoid pasty taste or clumps. Adding broth creates loose base that reduces into glossy thick sauce; stirring occasionally prevents bottom scorch. Cinnamon stick infuses whole spice warmth without overwhelming sharp clove notes. Blending sauce smooths pulp and vegetable remnants; textural balance matters. If blending fails, pass through fine sieve for headcount polish. Folding in chicken chunks late keeps texture distinct. Heat slowly below boil after meat joins sauce, preserves moisture and flavor. Cream rounding can be added off heat or gently warmed—never boiled. Serve hot with fresh steaming basmati rice; fluff grains with fork for ideal grain separation. The surrounding bites of nuts, fruits, chutneys add crunch and layers, preventing palate fatigue.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Poach chicken low and slow. No rolling boils or meat tightens. Gentle bubbles only. Timing around 25 minutes. Removes dryness but keeps bite tender. Drain, cool before cutting so fibers relax.
- 💡 Sauté apples and onions medium heat. Watch for edges turning golden and aroma deepening. Caramelization adds background sweetness, offsetting acidity. Stir but don’t mash fruit down too much. Smell guides doneness more than time alone.
- 💡 Toast curry powder thoroughly, constant stirring to prevent burning. Spices bloom releasing oils, deep color appears. Flour sprinkled on next, stirred long to lose raw taste. Keeps sauce thick and clinging, not gluey. Patience with cooking flour crucial here.
- 💡 Add veggies and liquids gradually, keeping heat low after combining. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, glossy sheen signals water reduction. Cinnamon stick in whole form—infuses warmth without harsh edges. Remove before blending else bites become gritty.
- 💡 Blending needs smooth texture; use sieve if pulp remains too coarse. Avoid blending chicken chunks, only sauce. Fold chicken carefully, heat on low—not boiling or meat toughens. Cream is off heat or very gentle heat, softens spice but optional. Always taste at this stage.
Common questions
Why poach chicken before adding to sauce?
Keeps meat tender. Avoids dryness. High heat ruins texture. Poaching extracts less protein leak. Timing key; use gentle simmer, not rapid boil. Chunks hold shape better afterward.
Flour whisked in raw?
Sprinkle over cooked spices, stir thoroughly. Cook at least 5 minutes. Raw flour taste spoils mouthfeel. Thickens sauce gradually. Alternate thickeners possible but adjust cooking time and consistency.
What if sauce too sour or thick?
Honey smooths acidity. Too thick—add broth slowly and stir, no rush. Vinegar swap for lemon only if careful, acidity stronger. Texture adjusted by cooking time or adding puree carrot/apple for natural thickening.
Can chicken thighs be used?
Yes, especially in dry climates, stay juicy but texture different. Poach slower, larger pieces better. Garam masala swap impacts flavor; warmer, less sharp curry feel. For quick prep, poach chicken ahead, store cold, reheat gently in sauce.
