Easy Chicken Curry with Peas

This is the kind of weeknight curry that rewards a thin pantry. A packet of dry onion soup mix does the heavy lifting where chopping and sweating fresh onions would, and two teaspoons of curry powder bloom in butter as the chicken browns. Not authentic in any regional sense, but it’s been a 1980s American kitchen staple for a reason. Sliced chicken breast cooks through in under 15 minutes and the sauce comes together while the rice steams.

Cutting the chicken into thin strips before browning is the move. Whole breasts take too long to cook through and dry out by the time the sauce reduces. Strips get a quick sear, then simmer just long enough to lock in juice without going leathery. The fresh tomato chunks break down into the sauce and add body the soup mix alone can’t deliver.

The yogurt at the end is what separates this from a sad pantry dish. Stir it in off the heat (or barely warm) so it heats through but never boils, otherwise it splits and goes grainy. The result is a tangy, creamy gravy that hugs the chicken and pools into the rice like a proper curry should.

Kitchen Tips

• Bloom the curry powder for 30 seconds in the butter before adding water. Toasting wakes up the spices and turns flat curry into something fragrant.
• Use full-fat plain yogurt. Low-fat versions split more easily when warmed.
• Salt cautiously. The onion soup mix is already loaded, so taste before adding more.
• Frozen peas warmed in a bowl of hot water for 2 minutes work fine in place of cooked. Skip the second pot.

Variations

• Garnish with toasted coconut flakes, raisins, and slivered almonds for the classic curry condiment trio.
• Stir in a tablespoon of mango chutney with the yogurt for a sweeter, more dimensional sauce.
• Swap chicken for cubed firm tofu or chickpeas for a vegetarian version.