Curry Chicken

I have always loved curry chicken. There's just something about the blend of spices, the beautiful

golden color and of course, the taste! I believe that healthy food does not have to be difficult to prepare or bland. I love to take my favorite recipes and create healthy alternatives. This curry chicken recipe is super simple and works for people on a budget. Because I am trying to watch my sodium intake, I use Badia Jamaican curry powder because it has great flavor without the sodium. You can find Badia spices in the international aisle of the grocery store. But remember to READ labels. Badia only has 15 mgs of sodium per serving (1/4 tsp.). My recipe calls for 6 tablespoons for 4lbs. of chicken. I did the math. And that equals 72 mgs of sodium for this curry chicken. I AM WINNING!!!!! This dish is also great for leftovers. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 lbs of chicken thighs
2-3 carrots
1/2 medium onion sliced
6 tablespoons of Jamaican curry powder
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
3 cups of water
2 carrots sliced at an angle
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Dried parsley
Salt to taste

THE STEPS:

1. Cut and wash chicken thighs. I like to cut the thighs in half with a pair of kitchen shears.
You can remove the skin or leave it on. It's totally up to you. Drain the chicken well and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Season the chicken with salt to taste, garlic powder and the curry powder. Remember not to go overboard with the salt. Store the seasoned chicken in Ziploc bags. Put the chicken in fridge for at least 1 hour to absorb spices. You have the option of marinating the chicken overnight.

3. Add the olive oil to your pan at high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Brown the thighs on both sides for about 3 minutes each side. Remember not to overcrowd your pan because this will bring down the temperature of your oil. You can do it in batches. Remove the chicken from the pan.

4. Add the sliced onions to the remaining oil. You will see bits in the pan. Don't worry! This is good stuff and will help to add super flavor to the "gravy" for this curry chicken. After onions began to sweat and turn translucent, add 2 cups of water. Take your spoon and scrape the bits from the pan. As you stir you will see the "gravy" start to form. 

5. Add the chicken back into the pan. Fold in chicken until it is well covered with "gravy" cover and bring to a rolling boil.

6. Lower heat to medium, add sliced carrots on top of chicken. If you need a little more water, you can gradually add more. Cover an let simmer for approximately 35 minutes. The chicken should be tender.

7. Garnish with dried parsley. Serve with veggies and starch of your choice. Traditionally, this dish is served with cabbage, rice and peas and plaintain.

Serves 6

Curry Chicken served with cabbage and stewed okra and tomatoes

I hope that you find this recipe simple to follow. Clean eating doesn't have to be hard and certainly doesn't have to be boring. Enjoy and don't forget to let me know how your dish turns out. 

Peace, Love and Blessings

----The Natural Child