Thanksgiving 2008

This was a good alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.

  • half a dozen chicken breasts, skinned
  • 1/2 stick (1") cinnamon, halved
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 t ginger
  • 1/2 t curry powder
  • 1/4 t cumin
  • 1/4 t garam masala
  • 1/4 t red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 t tumeric
  • 1 C chicken broth (1 bouillon cube in water)
  • 1/2 t chopped chives
  • 1/2 t cilantro


  1. Arrange chicken in microwave dish, meaty side up.
  2. Boil water, bouillon cube, and cinnamon stick until bouillon cube is dissolved.
  3. Mix ginger, curry, cumin, pepper flakes, tumeric. Rub a pinch or so into top of each chicken breast. Mix remainder into broth.
  4. Sprinkle chives and cilantro over chicken.
  5. Mince garlic, sprinkle over chicken.
  6. Dice onion, sprinkle over chicken.
  7. Pour broth over chicken.
  8. Microwave @ 100% for 10 minutes, 30% for 120 minutes.
  9. Check chicken, if tender, serve over rice.

5 comments:

Linda said...

Microwave chicken! It's sacrilege! Doesn't it make the chicken rubbery? I always, always oven cook chicken - it doesn't take long and it always tender.

Nitecruzr said...

Not at all. Microwaves cook the meat from the inside out, and when done properly, the chicken is flaky, moist, and tender. Oven cooking cooks from the outside in, and makes the meat dry and hard, unless you keep dumping fluids over it.

Linda said...

Hi again, I open cook most chicken dishes and if you get the cooking times right it's fine. I find no need to keep basting. I add a touch of olive oil at the beginning to prevent dryness. If you are not able to keep your eye on the clock then cooking in foil locks in mositure.

Nitecruzr said...

Linda,

What can I say. Cooking in a microwave oven doesn't make the food rubbery, and cooking in a baking / broiling oven doesn't make it dry, when you do it right. The olive oil sounds like a good step to add.

In cold weather, I guess it makes more sense to use a baking / broiling oven. In warmer weather, microwaving makes more sense. To me, anyway.

Mrs K said...

I like the amerecanized version of curry garlic chicken:) I personally use a lot of garlic and ginger in my cooking along with onion which in Indian cookery has to be caramelized ,most indian dishes call for that.To give the gravy a thick base. I have to try this soon! I will eat it with rice:)