Curry Chicken with Barley (makes 4 servings)

By Vickie Chynoweth

Curry powder is a blend of spices typically found in Indian food. The British created the spice blend to bring Indian cuisine back to England after arriving in India in 1608.

Chef Palak Patel has traced the spread of India’s spice dishes back even further than the British. The Portuguese arrived in India in 1498 and introduced chili. Then came the Dutch in 1605, the British in 1608 followed by the French in 1664. Colonization played a role in transporting Indian food out of India. Curry dishes can be found around the world with influences from each culture.

Contrary to popular belief, curry spice is not a staple ingredient in authentic Indian cooking.

Ingredients

Curry Chicken:

2 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons avocado oil

3/4 cup onion chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon cumin powder

3 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup mango ginger chutney

Barley:

3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 14.5-ounce can low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup roasted pine nuts

Optional:

Chopped peanuts

Raisins

Fresh papaya

Directions

Curry Chicken:

1. In a small bowl mix dry seasoning of cumin, curry, salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet, add avocado oil. Chop chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken in skillet with hot oil. Evenly pour dry seasoning over the top of chicken. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir to evenly coat chicken. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high heat or until the onion is soft.

3. Pour tomatoes over chicken mixture. Stir in mango ginger chutney.

4. Cover turn chicken. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

Barley:

1. While chicken is simmering cook barley. In an 8-cup pot add olive oil. Cook chopped onion until soft. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add barley and quinoa, stir. Turn the stove down to low. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Heat a small skillet. Add pine nuts, do not add any oil, as the nuts produce their own oil. Cook stirring constantly until pine nuts start to turn a golden brown. Remove pine nuts from hot skillet, as the nuts will continue to cook in hot skillet and may burn. Spread nuts evenly over plate.

3. When barley mixture is done add dates, pine nuts. Stir in soy sauce. Serve chicken with barley mixture. Spoon chopped peanuts, raisins and chopped papaya over the top of chicken.