Whats for Dinner :: Chicken Curry with Peppers

Inspiration seldom strikes on a day when all you did was unload the dishwasher, made the beds, screamed at the kids, and ignored the pile of laundry sitting in the dryer crying out to be folded and put away. Despite my continuous hours of laboring away in the house these past weeks — cleaning, arranging, unpacking, re-arranging — there is still a room full of boxes and bags full of our belongings, taunting me every time i pass its locked door.

But the train of life has to stop three times everyday for meal-stops, come what may!

I am hardly the one to follow recipes these days. Gone are the days when I used to study and bookmark recipes on net for hours and then follow them to the dot. If anything, those days have taught meet to rely on my gut first, and on my current state of fridge and pantry. And it all works out brilliantly on most days. A basic understanding of the base of a pasta sauce, or what goes into a curry at what point, how to roast the veggies with chicken, how long does it take a cook a fish perfectly is all that you need to know how to feed your family each day. It really doesn’t have to be overwhelming, or a chore that takes more than half an hour of your active time each meal.

I am the self-proclaimed queen of easy weekday meals. I love cooking complicated dishes too, but my everyday life is already so packed and hectic with two boys, that I hardly get time anymore to try out my love for long, slow cooked, or fidgety recipes. 45 mins is the maximum time I allot myself to fix any lunch or dinner, from scratch. Many days, it all happens within half an hour, with much planning and some kickass multitasking and time management.

I don’t have a set weekly menu, at least not in written form anyway. But i do follow an uncomplicated and straight forward approach to meal planning in a week which goes something like this : Roast Chicken with Veggies, Pasta with a simple sauce, some curry with Naan bread or Roti, Rice with lentils, stir fry and fish. And lots of experimentation with leftovers which turn into the most delicious meals the next day.

Sharing one quick and delicious curry I made last week using whatever i found in fridge at that time.

YOU WILL NEED:

1/2 kg chicken thighs cut into cubes or strips

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1/2 red pepper, sliced

tomato paste, 2 tbsp

yogurt, 4 tbsp

cumin powder, 1/2 tsp

turmeric, 1/4 tsp

coriander powder, 1/2 tsp

salt and pepper to taste

green chillies to garnish

1 lemon wedge to squeeze before serving

HOW TO MAKE :

Heat up some oil in a wok. Fry up the onion till golden brown. Add garlic and fry for 1 more minute. Add chicken pieces and fry till they turn golden. Add the spices and tomato paste and fry some more. Add the peppers and continue cooking. When the peppers are slightly soft, add the yogurt, turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 15 minutes till the chicken and peppers cook through. Check salt and peppers. Squeeze some lemon juice and add some green chillies and serve with Naan bread, Roti or Parathas.