Colonial Chicken Curry

We (meaning my whole family when I was growing up) developed a taste for this kind of curry at the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club, otherwise known as the YCAC, in the fifties. After we moved on, my father used to make it. He liked Bombay duck, which was a dried fish, I think, as an additional condiment.

1 whole chicken, cut up, skinless 1 onion, chopped green peppers, chopped 3 cloves garlic (or more), minced fresh ginger root, shaved, 1-2 tsp. curry powder: enough! cumin crushed red pepper black pepper 1 apple, cut up 1 medium potato, diced T. cup raisins 1 can coconut milk

Saute the chicken, turning frequently to brown all sides, along with the onions and peppers. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute or two. Add the curry powder, cumin, and red and black peppers. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add enough water to barely cover the chicken and bouillon (cubes such as Knorr Swiss or use chicken tea) and stew the curry until the chicken is tender and falling off the bones (an hour or so). Let it cool down and fish out the chicken. When you can handle it, remove the meat from the bones and return it to the curry.

Mix some flour (1/8 to 1/4 cup) with a little coconut milk until smooth, then add the coconut milk and thickener to the curry. Heat and boil until the curry is thick. Correct the seasoning and serve with jasmine rice and the following condiments:

Peanuts
Raisins
Shredded or flaked coconut
Sliced bananas
Hot mango chutney

About curry powder. You can buy a prepared curry powder, of course, and many are good. But curry is not a spice. It is a mixture of spices.