Here is a creamy, coconut-enriched chicken curry that takes me back to the balmy southwest breezes of Kerala’s palm-lined coast. Serve with Plain Jasmine Rice and a green vegetable.

Ingredients

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　1/2 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

　　One 5-ounce onion, cut in half lengthways and then crossways into fine half rings

　　2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

　　2 1/2 pounds chicken parts, skinned

　　1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more, if desired

　　1 tablespoon bright red paprika

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　15–20 fresh curry leaves, if available, or 8 fresh basil leaves, torn up

　　1 cup coconut milk from a well-shaken can

　　3 or 4 whole bird’s-eye chilies (optional)

　　Put the oil into a wide pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, add the onions. Stir and fry until the onions have browned lightly. Add the ginger, garlic, chicken, cayenne, paprika, salt, and curry leaves. Stir for a minute. Add 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring now and then. Boil down most of the liquid. Add the coconut milk and, if using, float the whole bird’s-eye chilies on top, and cook, stirring on medium-high heat for a minute.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.