Chicken Curry with Chutney

Chicken with Curry and Chutney is a fast, five ingredient dinner that can easily be styled up for adults and simplified for kids at the same time. With thinly sliced chicken breasts, this takes less than 10 minutes, I kid you not, and transforms into great leftovers curried chicken salad for sandwiches. It’s a Mothers’ Day (week) miracle!

If you’re not familiar with curry powder, think of it as the East Indian version of the chili powder you use in chili. Here in the US, regular chili powder from the grocery store is a blend of ground chiles and usually other spices, garlic, salt and some chemicals for color retention, “freshness” etc.  Good quality chili powder won’t have chemicals. You can also buy single chile powder like ancho chile powder.  The spellings of chile, chili and even chilli (you crazy Brits) are all correct spellings.

Curry is a mix of upwards of 20 spices, herbs and seeds. There are two styles, regular and hot, which is referred to as Madras. Any grocery store will at least have McCormick Curry Powder. Every brand will be different, so you can experiment to see which is to your taste. If you choose to blend your own, you can tweak it perfectly to your liking.

Mixing the curry with mango chutney makes a sweet and savory glaze, which infused the chicken with flavor. Serve with your favorite rice, I like Jasmine a long grain white rice. Then the fun part of all the toppings, use as many or as few as you like, they all go well.

• Any type of nuts or pepitas, diced avocado, sour cream or plain yogurt, slivered green onions, cilantro, toasted coconut
• quick pickled red onions
• currants or raisins plumped in wine (yay!)

If there are leftovers, dice up the chicken and toss with some diced apple, raisins and or nuts, with mayonnaise for a great curried chicken salad.

Chef Shelley

Chicken Curry with Chutney

If your kids are not on board with the curry flavor, brush their chicken with plain chutney. Cross & Blackwell’s Major Grey’s Chutney is a mango chutney that is readily available and their Hot Mango Chutney has a nice kick if you like it spicier. If you can’t find mango chutney, orange marmalade makes a tasty, albeit different, flavor. I would use any flavor of jam or jelly except for black/rasp/straw/blueberry. Thinly sliced chicken breasts are usually available in the prepackaged section of the grocery store or slice regular boneless skinless breasts horizontally into two thinner breasts. If you have chutney left it is great spread on crostini with a schmear of chevre (soft goat cheese) or cream cheese. Add roast chicken for a great sandwich.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Oil of choice to sauté you don't need more than 1 tablespoon and can certainly use less
• 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts about 1/2"
• salt
• ½ cup mango chutney
• 1 teaspoon curry powder or more to taste
• Sprinklings: any type of nut pepitas, toasted coconut, diced avocado, sour cream or plain yogurt, thinly sliced green onions, cilantro

Method

 

1. Heat oil in 12” sauté pan over medium high heat until oil is shimmering, about 3 minutes on a gas stove.
2. While oil heats, combine chutney and curry.
3. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt then lay chicken breasts in skillet and cook until nice and golden brown, about 3 minutes for 1/2" thick slices.
4. Preheat broiler to high, moving a rack to the highest position.
5. Flip and cook just until chicken is barely cooked through. It should only take a minute or two depending on how thin they are.
6. Transfer to cookie sheet and brush with curried chutney and broil until glaze is bubbly, about 2 minutes.
7. Serve with any sprinklings desired.

Notes

Quick Pickled Red Onions - sliver however much red onion you want to serve and put in a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl. Add white wine vinegar just to cover. If you want a little sweetness with your sour, add 1 teaspoon of sugar for every ¼ cup of onions. Microwave on high for one to two minutes until just boiling and then set aside to cool.

Wine Plumped Currants, follow directions for Quick Pickled Red Onions substituting currants or raisins for onions, wine for vinegar and no sugar. Last time I used currants and champagne and it was fantastic. Any type of wine will taste different and great in its own way.