Monster Curry

Guys, there’s no such thing as Monster Extract.  We all know this.  It’s severely disappointing, but it’s true.  So, after much deliberation, I decided that Monster Extract was simply going to be unusual ingredients thrown into regular meals that either A) dye the food a more purple color or B) add a unique/unexpected purple food to the meal.  The goal is to actually do both.  And while some recipes will require the use of food coloring to achieve the right effect, this one, I am proud to say, does not!  Now, to make that happen, this meal isn’t quite as purple as I wish it could have been.  But we make do…

Monster Curry

We need to start with the chicken and the marinade.  This allows the spices to mix together for long enough that the marinade takes on the flavor of the spices and they don’t taste quite so raw and it also allows the chicken to soak up the flavor of the marinade.  It’s like… giving the chicken the Zora Tunic – all of a sudden Link takes on the characteristics of the Zora and can breathe underwater.  Thank goodness.

So cut up the thigh meat (technically you can use breast, too, but thigh tends to retain moisture better) into 1/2 inch cubes.  Doesn’t have to be perfect, we just want them similar in shape so they cook at the same time.  Then peel and cut the garlic and fresh ginger.

Next we add all the spices, the tomato paste, and the yogurt to a blender (or food processor if you’re cool like that).  Blend until completely combined.  You may have to stop occasionally, even in a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, and shake and scrape everything around to make sure the garlic and ginger get thoroughly chopped.

Add the spice mixture to a bowl with the chicken and stir to completely coat the chicken.  Cover and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably 2.

When the chicken is nearly done marinating let’s take the onion, carrot, and beets, wash them, and dice them.  A word of caution – if you cut the beets into large or thick pieces they will take FOREVER to cook.  Don’t make my mistakes, cut them up nice and skinny.

Start the rice about the time you’re ready to start cooking.  We’ve gone over this – add rice, wash rice, add water, press start.  You guys are experts by this point!

When you’re done dicing and slicing, take the chicken out of the fridge to warm up a bit.  Add half the butter and oil to a pan – I prefer my good, old-fashioned cast iron pans.  I’m kind of obsessed with them…  When the butter is melted add the onion and cook for maybe 1-2 minutes.  Next add the carrots and beets and cook until they’re tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the veggies from the pan and add the remaining butter and oil.  When the butter is, you got it, melted, add the chicken and all the marinade.  It feels like a lot.  It feels thick and goopy.  It feels weird.  But trust me, it all works out in the end.

Cook until the chicken is completely cooked through.  Depending on the size of your chicken pieces it should take about 10 minutes.  Just make sure there’s no pink in the middle of a piece if you cut it open, okay?  Add back all the veggies and stir and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until everything is nice and combined.

At this point, add your heavy cream.  Stir and mix until it’s completely combined and then simmer for about 15 minutes.  We want to give the flavors time to combine and we want to give the curry time to change colors from yellow to… a more purplish yellow…  It’s all I could do, folks.

Serve with the rice and be happy!

Link’s Monster Curry recipe:

• • Hylian Rice
  • Goron Spice
  • Monster Extract

Monster Curry

• Servings: 5
• Time: 1.5 hours, plus 2 hour marinade
• Difficulty: moderately easy
• Print

A chicken korma curry with beets and carrots

Recipe adapted from Indian Chicken Korma by Sabrina from Dinner Then Dessert

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
• 5 medium carrots
• 8-10 beets
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil i.e. canola
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2.5 cups dry rice
• water to cook rice

Marinade

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1.5 tablespoon-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1.5 tablespoon garam masala
• 1/3 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more for a spicier meal)
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 1/4 cup greek yogurt

Directions

1. Cut up the chicken thighs into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Add all the spices, tomato paste, and yogurt to a blender or food processor.
Blend until completely combined, scraping down and mixing the sauce as needed.
3. Add the spice mixture to a bowl with the chicken and stir to completely coat the chicken.  Cover and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours.
4. Wash and dice the onion, carrot, and beets. Dice the beets into thin, bite-size pieces in order to shorten cooking times.
5. Start the rice when you’re ready to start cooking. Rinse the rice several times, add water up to your first knuckle of your finger when it rests on top of the rice, and press start on your rice cooker.
6. Take the chicken out of the fridge to warm up while you cook the vegetables.
7. Add half the butter and oil to a pan. When the butter is melted add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrots and beets and cook until they’re tender, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove the veggies from the pan.
9. Add the remaining butter and oil. When the butter is melted add the chicken and all the marinade.
10. Cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, ensuring there is no pink in the center of the chicken – about 10 minutes.
11. Add back all the veggies and stir and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until everything is combined.
12. Add the heavy cream.  Stir and mix until it’s completely combined and then simmer for about 15 minutes.
13. Serve with the rice and be happy!