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Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Dinner in 40 Minutes

Parsee Red Chicken Curry

4 to 6 servings

There's only a small amount of garam masala in this curry dish, and, as is customary, it is not added until just before serving (see "Garam Masala Test," at right). But many of the spices that constitute garam masala are included in a paste that infuses the chicken with its pungent flavor. For convenience, we've substituted prepared coconut milk for grated, soaked and strained coconut.

We're giving a wide range of chili peppers so you can achieve a sweet-heat balance you're comfortable with. If you can stand the heat, use all 10 chili peppers and don't discard the seeds from some of them. Too much heat? Dilute the sauce with water.

Serve with basmati rice. Adapted from "50 Great Curries of India," by Camellia Panjabi, a 1996 book that has just been released in paperback by Kyle Books.

5 to 10 red chili peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

3 whole cloves

6 black peppercorns

1-inch cinnamon stick, broken into pieces (may substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

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