One-Pot Turmeric Chicken Curry

Curry belongs on your table, and this one proves it without a single nightshade or seed-spice. Whole cloves, a cinnamon stick, bay leaves, turmeric, garlic, and ginger build all the warmth and depth chili and cumin once did in a dish like this, and the depth they build is real.

Turmeric and ginger are the warming aromatics at the heart of the curry, and turmeric in particular is often valued for its anti-inflammatory reputation, worth holding gently rather than as a firm promise. The sweet potatoes bring beta-carotene, a source of vitamin A involved in immune and mucosal health, and the chicken delivers sustaining protein as your body rebuilds. The cilantro and the cool cucumber-onion salad alongside add fresh polyphenols and a bright contrast to the warm, spiced pot.

An animal was raised for this chicken; thighs and drumsticks are humble, flavorful cuts worth using with gratitude. Take a breath before you eat and let the plate be beautiful: the gold of the turmeric, the orange of the sweet potato, the green of the cilantro and the crisp salad. The presence you bring to the table is part of how the meal serves you.

Ingredients

Curry:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium red onions, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 whole dried cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger paste
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• Cilantro, for garnish

Cucumber-onion salad:

• 1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• Apple cider vinegar, to dress
• Sea salt, to taste

Method

Warm the olive oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions along with the bay leaves, whole cloves, and cinnamon stick, and cook for about 6 minutes, until the onions soften and the whole spices perfume the oil. Add the chicken and brown it well, about 7 minutes per side. Sprinkle in the salt, turmeric, garlic paste, and ginger paste, and stir to coat the chicken evenly.

Lay the sweet potato slices over and around the chicken so they touch the bottom of the pot, cover, and cook on low for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potato is tender. Remove the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick, garnish with cilantro, and serve. For a saucier curry, use more onion or slice the sweet potato thinner so some of it breaks down into the pot.

For the salad, toss the seeded, thinly sliced cucumber and red onion with apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt just before serving. For extra-crisp cucumber, salt the pieces an hour ahead, pour off the water they release, then slice and dress.

Instant Pot variation

This curry suits the Instant Pot well. Use the saute setting to bloom the bay, cloves, and cinnamon in the oil and soften the onions, then brown the chicken right in the pot. Stir in the salt, turmeric, garlic, and ginger, then lay the sweet potato on top. Add a small splash of broth or water so the pot does not scorch, seal, and cook on high pressure for a short time, in the range of 8 to 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Pressure times here are untested, so check that the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potato is tender before serving, and remove the whole spices.

*Adapted from asquirrelinthekitchen.com*