Indian-spiced chicken with cauliflower, potatoes and peas

Recipes: Indian-spiced chicken with cauliflower, potatoes and peas, Cucumber raita

This dish will taste to many like "curry", although a well-known Indian cookbook writer has said there is no such thing as a curry dish in India. Rather, the spicing is just what's commonly used there, differing somewhat depending on where in the vast country you are cooking and eating. Who knew?

This particular recipe is an adaptation of one from Madhur Jaffrey's 1975 book, An Invitation to Indian Cooking. Regardless of what you call it, it's delicious and relatively simple to make. We loved it for dinner recently, I think you will too.

Indian-spiced Chicken with Vegetables

• One large or two small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 medium potatoes, red or yellow
• 1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into flowerettes
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (I keep cardamom seeds and grind them when I need them)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small red chilis (I use my homegrown red Fresno chilis. The result is moderately spicy.)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (could be canned) or fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth, canned is fine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen peas

In a small saucepan, bring your whole potatoes to a boil in water to cover. Cook until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and leave in pan or a colander to cool.

Place chopped onion, garlic, and ginger in a blender with 5 tablespoons water and blend to a smooth paste.

Pat chicken breasts dry and cut them into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet on medium high. Add cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom, red peppers, ground pepper, and chicken pieces. Fry chicken pieces quickly, turning them over in the spices, until they no longer look pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside in a small bowl.

Pour the paste from the blender into the skillet, averting your face in case it splatters. Add turmeric and fry, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Now add the tomato sauce and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Cut the cooked potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add salt, the potatoes, and the cauliflower pieces to the sauce. Stir, bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Add chicken pieces and simmer, covered, 10 more minutes. Turn chicken and vegetables a few times while they are cooking.

Meanwhile, cook the peas in water in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Toss with 1 tablespoon butter.

To serve: Put chicken and potatoes in soup bowls and pour sauce over it. Top with a generous helping of peas. Serve with cucumber raita on the side.

Cucumber Raita

This refreshing relish can take the place of a salad. It's especially good in summer with fresh cucumbers out of your garden.

• 1 cucumber, peeled and either grated or cut in half lengthwise and sliced very thin crosswise
• 1 cup plain yogurt (I've used Greek yogurt as well as regular - both are good)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A good grind of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• A dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika for garnish

Empty the yogurt into a serving bowl and beat it well with a fork until it is smooth and paste-like. 

Add the cucumber, salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne to the bowl.

Sprinkle with paprika and, if you wish, a little additional cumin. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve - at least 30 minutes so it's nice and chilled.