I’ve only recently discovered Tieghan Gerard’s blog Half Baked Harvest, which she started almost a decade ago when she was just 18. She comes from a boisterous family of 10, and after years of helping her mother get dinner on the table, she realized she loved it! Tieghan lives and works in a converted horse barn in Colorado, where she develops her recipes and creates the astonishingly gorgeous photos. She’s won many awards, has two cook books, and and is a certified Instagram star.
I follow her on Instagram, where she posts new creations constantly. I have made several, and think for me anyway, the photos can be the best part of the recipes. This one is an exception; a deeply flavorful curry with tender chicken that you can make fairly quickly in one skillet. Even better a day or two later as the flavors meld. I used the lesser amount of cayenne pepper given, which for us was a perfect level of hotness. Serve with rice and fresh naan .
2 pounds boneless skinless breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 Tbs. fresh grated ginger
2 tsp. plus one Tbs. garam masala
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper, use to your taste
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk (or sub 1 cup cream)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
steamed rice and naan, for serving
In a bowl, toss together the chicken, yogurt, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tbs. ginger, 2 tsp. garam masala, 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. tumeric, 1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp. salt. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add 1 Tbs. butter and toss to coat the chicken. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate.
To the skillet, add the onion and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add 2 Tbs. butter, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tbs. ginger, 1 Tbs. garam masala, 1 Tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper, and the chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 cup water and the coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a simmer, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in 1 Tbs. butter. If the sauce seems thick, thin with 1/2 to 1 cup additional coconut milk. Add the chicken and any juices on the plate and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro. Add salt and pepper as needed. Serve over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Serves 6.
Note: I used low fat coconut milk, and reduced the water to 1/2 cup which worked well. The spices are divided between the chicken and the sauce, so watch those measurements to avoiding adding the full amount to the chicken in step one! I served this with my Mother’s Northwest Purple Plum Chutney (also on this site under Virginia’s Cookbook) – so delicious!
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