Linda,

I, too, am a huge fan of curries - they are so flavourful! A chicken curry is a great place to start, however you still need to decide between the more common styles of Indian and Asian curries, and even then there are thousands of spice mixtures, because every family makes their own! Today, there is a variety of curry pastes, sauces and spices, usually in the imported foods or sauces sections in the grocery aisles. They are easy to use and will save you time. You can also mix up a batch of your own “masala” (see below), the base spice mixture of any curry dish.

One of my favourite recipes is Tandoori Chicken! To marinate the chicken; in an extra large plastic freezer bag, mix together 1 ½ cups of plain or vanilla yogourt with 4 or 5 tbsp of prepared Tandoori paste and 6 cloves of garlic, crushed, until well blended. Add your chicken; whether it is boneless chicken breasts, thighs and drum sticks, wings, a quartered chicken or whole chicken, and coat it well in the marinade. Seal the plastic bag up tight, set it in a bowl and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight if you have the time. Take the chicken out of the marinade and roast the chicken in a preheat oven at 375°F until fully cooked and it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Serve with rice and vegetables.

Your very own "Masala"

Be sure to make more than you need and store it in an airtight container away from sunlight, this way you’ll have some spice rub ready for your next curry. You would normally buy the seeds and toast them yourself before grinding them, but I find most home-chefs will have all ground spices ready in the cupboard. So, here is a quick good basic masala; mix together 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cayenne, 1tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground clove, and ½ tsp ground nutmeg until well blended. Keep in an airtight container until needed. Rub boneless chicken breasts liberally with the masala mixture and a touch of olive oil, and then skewer each breast with a cinnamon stick. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, season the chicken with a little salt and sear on all sides until golden brown. Stir in ¼ cup water and ½ cup of coconut milk or light cream, cover and simmer on low heat until the chicken is cooked and tender. Stir in ¼ cup of ground cashews and another tbsp of your masala, simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened to desired consistency. Mix in some freshly chopped parsley and cilantro the serve with rice and vegetables.

I hope you enjoy these two different recipes for chicken curry! Have fun in the kitchen.

Chef Ryan Skelton

Su,

Thank you for your question. My response to you is two-part. The first details excellent options to have in your mealtime rotation, just in case celery root is not available in-store. The second part, can be found on my blog, Potato Starch Substitues. It is written by Cheryl, our head dietician, who has passed along some useful information on substitutes and the equivalent amounts for potato starch.

• Roots and Tubers - Beets, carrots, celery root, jicama, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas and turnips are some well know varieties of this vegetable group and all will fill potatoes space on the dinner plate. Roasting them helps to bring out their sweetness, they can also be steamed, sautéed, or boiled, and are good in soups, stews, cook with other veggies or served all on their own.
• Winter Squash - The acorn, banana, butternut, Hubbard, pumpkin and spaghetti squash have moist, sweet and well flavoured flesh. They are well suited for steaming, roasting and sautéing, don’t worry if you cook more squash than you need, because pureed squash makes great soups and pie fillings.
• Grains We eat a lot of grains at home as a side dish. They are quite simple and strait forward to prepare and are willing to take on lots of different flavours. Arborio rice, Basmati Rice, Wild Rice, Quinoa, Couscous and Bulgur have all found there way through my pantry. (TIP - I always like to cook extra and use it for a salad the next day as a quick and flavourful lunch.)
• Pasta Fresh or Dried pasta is a great solution for a “starchy” side dish.
• Legumes Legumes are a group of veggies with double-seamed pods containing seeds, beans; probably the best know legume makes a great change as a side dish or starchy ingredient. Fresh green beans, edamame beans (soy) and snap beans, along with dried black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, and lentils are some of my favourites.

Regarding the celery root, or celeriac as it is also known, is a large round root vegetable more popular in Europe than it is here in Canada. I am surprised that you haven’t been able to find some in our Sobeys stores; it is usually available from October through April. You should talk to the produce manage at your local Sobeys to see if they can order some in. Celery root can be eaten raw, thinly sliced in salads or baked/roasted, steamed or boiled. It is most often used in soups, stews or served as a puree/mash. I usually serve it with game and other rich meats.

I hope this helps with your question.

Happy cooking!

Chef Ryan Skelton