Curried Chicken Bun Filling

Name: Curried Chicken Bun Filling
Yield: makes 1 1/3 cups
Ingredients: 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seed; 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed; 1/8 teaspoon fennel seed; 3 black peppercorns; 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne; 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 pinch of ground cloves; 1 pinch of ground cinnamon; 1 shallot, chopped (1/4 cup); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 1 1/2 teaspoons water; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 2/3 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into peanut-size pieces; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3/4 teaspoon sugar; 3 tablespoons coconut milk; 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in; 1 tablespoon water; 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

December 9, 2011

Cantonese cooks have been creating curried bāo fillings for years, but for buns with both a Southeast Asian and an Indian edge, stuff them with this curried chicken filling that contains plenty of spice and a touch of coconut-milk richness. The ingredient list looks daunting only because of the number of spices, a combination that yields aromatic, flavorful results. If you have a good curry powder, such as Sun Brand, feel free to substitute 1 tablespoon for the spices below; decrease the amount of salt if the curry powder contains salt already. Or skip the toasting and grinding and substitute equal amounts of ground spices for the whole ones, using two pinches of black pepper for the peppercorns. The flavors will still be good.

Recipe notes

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