Malabar Chicken Curry - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
12 -15 curry leaves, finely chopped
2 dried cayenne, chiles
4 cups chopped red onions (2 large onions)
2 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and or or stems)
3 cups chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Preparation

Pour 1/2 cup oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and red chiles.
Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the ginger and onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the onions to brown until they are dark and soft enough the smash with a spatula-about 25-30 minutes.
Add the chili powder, coriander, turmeric, and cilantro-mix together.
Raise the heat back to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, and lime juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil separates out-15-20 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat.
In a separate skillet, heat 1 Tb. of oil over high. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides, leaving the centers pink-2-4 minutes.
Add the chicken to the curry and simmer 5-7 minutes until the chicken has cooked through. Serve over basmati rice.
Cook's Notes: I went to a small foreign market to collect some of the unique ingredients for this recipe. There, I had no trouble finding everything on my list. Extra curry leaves can be wrapped and frozen for later use. This is a GREAT make-ahead! Letting the curry sit overnight enhances the flavors!