The yogurt and curry spices make a rich, creamy sauce for this flavorful dish. Using nonfat yogurt and skinless chicken make this dish healthy, as well... from www.gourmetrecipe.com http://www.gourmetrecipe.com/recipes/curried-chicken-breast

1. Chicken Curry Recipe
When preparing chicken curry, prepare to visit your neighborhood Asian (preferably
Indian) store for the you’re most important ingredients – spices.
Sometimes mistaken for a single ground spice, curry is actually a blend of many
different spices–meaning there is no such thing as curry plant, seed, bark or root.
There is no specific combination with the spices that go into the mix. The blend is
often a matter of geography or culture and simple preference. Some commonly used
spices include (but certainly not limited to) allspice, white pepper, mustard, ginger,
cinnamon, roasted cumin, cloves, nutmeg, mace, green or black cardamom seeds and
pods, bay leaves and coriander seeds. In most restaurants, the menu sometimes calls
dishes by the color of the sauce which is usually red (from chilis), yellow (due to
turmeric) or green.
Curry is often associated with Indian cooking with a wide variety of dishes from
different regions containing a variety of blends resulting in different flavors and colors.
With a population of over one billion Indians spread over an entire sub-continent, not
to mention immigrant communities across the world, it’s no wonder that there’s
different kinds of spice dishes from the northern, central and south part of the
country. It is also prevalent in other parts of Asia like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia, even China and Japan. Outside Asia, curry dishes are also widely served in
Polynesian and Caribbean cuisine.
Unlike grilled, baked or roasted chicken, curry dishes lend well to moist types of
cooking as cooking liquids like coconut milk, yoghurt or broth are often required in the
recipe. There are dry curry dishes also but these still use a cooking liquid that are
allowed to evaporate leaving a savory spicy mixture coating the meat.
The recipes shared here include a creamy dish with rice, a creamy sweet-spicy soup
with mango, a salad with crunchy grapes and a couple of hearty filling main courses.
Surprisingly these dishes are very easy to prepare and involve simple steps like pan
frying, stewing or simple assembly. The only potential challenge for the novice cook is
getting his or her hands on ingredients.
Vindaloo a popular dish in the United Kingdom and the U.S. is basically a variety of
chicken (or lamb) curry that is typically extremely spicy and usually has potatoes.
Another British-Indian dish that exemplifies the ties between the two countries is
chicken tikka masala, a grilled skewered dish with several spices, tomato sauce, cream
and cilantro.

2. Curried Chicken Breast
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 medium cloves garlic, minced, 1 large onion, minced, 1/2 lb.
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cubed), 1/4 cup water, 4 tsp. curry powder, 1/4 tsp.
cayenne pepper, 1/2 golden, seedless raisins, 1/4 cup apricot preserves, 2 tbsp.
cornstarch, 2 cups plain nonfat yogurt, 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
Preparation Instructions:
Pour oil in large skillet. Sauté garlic and onions until both are golden. Add chicken
cubes and sauté until browned. Add water, seasonings, raisins and preserves. Simmer,
uncovered, 15-20, until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. The liquid
should be mostly absorbed. Measure cornstarch into a small bowl. Add cornstarch,
stirring until cornstarch dissolves. Add mixture to skillet, stirring to combine. Simmer,
stirring continually, until the sauce thickens, but do not boil. Season with pepper and
serve.