RECIPES
Taste Tibet
FAMOUS CHICKEN CURRY
If you take momos out of the equation, then Taste Tibet’s famous chicken curry is definitely our biggest seller. Its name did not come about without the wild appreciation for all the joy it provides to starving festivalgoers across the land and to the fine, curry-loving people of Oxford. So here we are – the great reveal. We’ve kept nothing back, and we hope you’ll enjoy making it as much as we enjoy serving it. For the full Taste Tibet experience, pair it with basmati rice or Balep and Yeshi’s dal.
INGREDIENTS • • • • •
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2 tbsp cooking oil 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2.5cm piece of ginger, washed but not peeled, thinly sliced 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced ¼ tsp turmeric 1 tsp Bassar curry masala (or hot chilli powder) 1½ tbsp Madras curry powder 2 tbsp coconut milk powder 6–8 fresh curry leaves, or 10–12 dried 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk 600g chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 teaspoon salt Chopped coriander (cilantro), to garnish – optional
Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a mediumhigh heat and add the oil. When it’s hot, add the garlic and ginger and let it brown for a couple of minutes, then add the onion and stir for a further 2 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, turmeric, curry masala and curry powder. Mix together and cook for 10–15 minutes, turning the heat down a little and adding about 50 ml (2½ tablespoons) of water if anything starts to catch, then add the coconut milk powder, curry leaves and coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Take your time here: you are making a curry paste, and it needs to be cooked through completely before you can add the chicken. Now add the chicken and salt. Turn the heat back up to high, stir the chicken through the sauce and cook for 8–10 minutes, adding a little boiling water – but only a little – if anything sticks. The pan should be quite dry to begin with, before the juices from the chicken start to be released, so wait a while before adding any water. Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa, Photography by Ola O. Smit. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.
64 GOLD COAST • PANACHE Magazine
After the chicken has been in for 8 minutes, check to make sure it is fully cooked. To do this, take a piece out and cut it through the middle – it should be white all the way through. If the sauce looks too thick, add a little more boiling water and stir briskly for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander, if you like, then serve.
