Chicken (or tofu!) and Sweet Potato Curry

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I lived in a dormitory my first two years of college.  During my junior and senior year, I lived in a house with a few girls.  To this day, my roommates are still some of my best friends; in fact we have probably grown closer since graduating college.  This recipe comes from one of my college roommates--KP--who modified a recipe from her mother-in-law.  KP's family and her husband's family are from Andhra Pradesh, so this is a South Indian recipe.

I chose to make this dish this week for two reasons.  First, it has been brutally cold where we live and the thought of a warm curry dish was enticing!  Second, my husband, V, and I are attending a wedding in two weeks and are trying to eat healthy until then.  This dish is wonderful because it is full of protein and is very low in carbohydrates!

Start off by chopping the tomatoes and onion, and peeling and chopping the sweet potato.  Mince the garlic and grate the ginger.  

Finally, you should dice the chicken into bite-size pieces.  As a note, you could also use tofu--just cut the tofu into bite-size pieces and then bake in the oven until firm.

Add the oil, cinnamon stick, and crushed cardamom pods to a pan.  Keep the heat on medium-high and wait until the oil begins to crackle around the cinnamon stick and cardamom.

Then add the chopped onions and stir occasionally until the edges of the onions begin to brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cover the pan with a lid until the tomatoes are soft.  

Once the tomatoes are soft, use a spatula to mash the tomatoes.

Then add the garlic and ginger, salt, turmeric, and red chili powder to the mixture.

Mix all the spices, garlic, and ginger into the mixture.  Then add the diced chicken breast and cook until the pieces turn mostly white (approximately five to ten minutes).

Add the sweet potato, turn the heat to medium-low, and wait until the sweet potato is softened.  Stir the mixture occassionally.

Once the sweet potato is softened, add the coriander and garam masala.  Stir in the yogurt to thicken the sauce.  You can also add more salt and/or red chili powder if you feel the dish needs more of either.

Serve and enjoy!  We chose to eat the curry with quinoa; however, you can eat it with rice, roti, naan, paratha, or just by itself!

You may also want to add some cilantro, mint, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving!

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 3 tbsp cooking oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 small onion
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 chicken breasts (or 1 small package of firm tofu, baked)
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt

Optional:

• 1-2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• Half of a lemon

Recipe:

1. Chop tomatoes and onion.  Peel and chop the sweet potato.  
2. Dice the chicken breast into bite-size pieces (or cut tofu into bite-size pieces and bake until firm).
3. Heat the cooking oil, cinnamon stick, and crushed cardamom pods in a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat until the oil starts to crackle around the cinnamon stick and cardamom.
4. Add the onion and stir occasionally until the edges of the onion begin to brown.
5. Add the tomatoes and cover until they are softened.  Then mash the tomatoes with a spatula.
6. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric, and red chili powder to the mixture and stir.
7. Add the chicken, lower the heat to medium, and cover with a lid.  Cook the chicken until it turns mostly white, stirring occasionally.  If using tofu, cook the tofu until slightly browned.
8. Add the sweet potato and cook until softened, stirring occasionally.
9. Add the coriander powder and garam masala and stir.  
10. Add the yogurt to thicken the sauce.
11. If necessary, add more salt or red chili powder to taste.
12. Optional:  Stir in 2 to 4 tbsp of cilantro and mint leaves and squeeze the juice of half a lemon.

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