Tender chicken in a sweet and savory curry finished with fragrant chrysanthemum.

Chicken, Lentil and Chrysanthemum Curry

Serves 4 - 5

Chrysanthemum or ssukat in Korean, is one of my favorite vegetables. Available year-round, it is super flavorful and mildly peppery. It is usually eaten as part of jeongals or as a muchim seasoned with garlic and sesame oil. I like it both ways and thought it would taste perfect when added as the vegetable base of a curry.

This curry is made from bone-in skinless chicken, onions and lentils. The spice mix is sweet and savory while the curry base gets an umami boost from mushrooms and doenjang. Finished with a vegetable raita on the side to lift all of the flavors and served with naan or rice and a delicious curry awaits.

Ingredients

2 T vegetable oil

1kg (2.25 lbs) chicken thighs or legs, skin removed

345g (about 0.75lb) shiitake mushrooms, sliced 0.25 in thick

300g (1 large) onion, diced

3 T kimchi brine or 1 T tomato paste 

Aromatics

1 – 2 cheongyang or serrano chilis, sliced

6 garlic cloves, minced

10g (2 t) ginger, minced 

Spices

2.5 t ground cumin

2 t ground coriander

1.75 t ground fennel

1.5 t ground turmeric

1.25 t kosher salt

0.50 t ground black pepper

0.25 t ground clove

0.25 t ground white pepper

0.25 t ground 5 spice

0.25 t ground sancho pepper or Sichuan pepper 

Liquids

750ml (3.75 c) water

2 T mirin

2 T soy sauce

2 T doenjang

Vegetable Raita

170g (2/3 c) plain yogurt

30g (2 T) carrot, minced

20g (0.25 c) cilantro, chopped

2 non spicy red chilis, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

0.50 t kosher salt

0.25 t ground black pepper

0.25 t ground cumin

0.25 t garam masala

1/8 t ground cardamom

Mix-Ins 1

215g (1 c) red lentils, rinsed

Reserved mushrooms

Finishing

227g (0.50 lb) chrysanthrum leaves and stems, cut into 1.5 in lengths

0.75 t garam masala

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a large high sided saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

• Add the chicken and brown well on all sides, about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Reduce the heat slightly if the chicken or fond on the bottom of the pot begins to burn.

• Add the mushrooms and pepper. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes or until well browned. Remove to a plate.

If needed, add an additional 1 T of vegetable oil to the pan.

• Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally for 10 – 12 minutes or until browned.

If needed, add an additional 1.5 t of vegetable oil to help the onions brown.

• Add the kimchi brine and continue to cook for 1 – 2 minutes or until the brine begins to caramelize slightly.

• Add the aromatics to the pan and cook stirring frequently for 1 minute.

• Add the spices and cook for 1 minute longer.

• Add the liquids, scraping up the fond from the bottom of the pan.

• Add the chicken and any accumulated juices from the plate.

• Cover and bring to a boil.

• Reduce to medium-low and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

While the chicken simmers, move on to the raita.

2.      In a medium bowl, stir together the raita ingredients mixing until well combined.

• Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

• Refrigerate until needed.

3.      Add the lentils and mushrooms to the simmering curry. Stirring well.

• Simmer for 30 – 40 minutes stirring occasionally for until the chicken is tender and the curry has thickened.

It is important to stir the curry to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Additionally, the end of the cooking time approaches, stir gently so the chicken does not fall off the bone too much,

• Taste for seasoning adjusting as desired.

• Add the finishing ingredients, cooking for 2 – 3 minutes longer or until the chrysanthemum has wilted slightly.

4.      Serve with naan and raita.