Name: Chicken and Green Bean Coconut Curry
Cook time: 1 3/4 hr
Total time: 2 hr
Yield: Makes 6 serves
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons tamarind (not concentrate) from a pliable block; 1/2 cup boiling-hot water; 2 tablespoons coriander seeds; 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds; 27 fresh curry leaves*; 6 (3-inch-long) dried hot Indian red chiles; 6 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (5 lb total); 2 teaspoons salt; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

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Chicken and Green Bean Coconut CurryMikkel Vang

This recipe uses what is known in Indian cooking as a tarka — hot oil seasoned with spices, which are added in sequence to infuse their flavors. The tarka is either incorporated at the beginning of a recipe or poured, sizzling, over a finished dish, as we do here, to impart another layer of flavor.

Cooks' notes:

•Chicken and coconut sauce, without green beans and spice oil, can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered.
•Green beans can be cooked and refreshed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag.

*Sometimes called meetha neem or kari patta, curry leaves are available at Indian and Asian markets.

Recipe notes

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