A Holiday Feast From the East

By Austin Bailey

December 18, 2019

Now it's time for something completely different. Try curry for an unexpected holiday meal.
Try curry for an unexpected holiday meal. Photo courtesy of Natural Chef Carolyn Nicholas

In This Article

  • Turkey is great, but how much of it can you really eat?
  • Chicken curry is a holiday tradition at Heifer Ranch, where volunteers chilled from working outside line up for this filling and unexpected dish.
  • Children especially love adding their own toppings.

Nothing rings in the holidays like ... chicken curry? At least that was true at the Heifer Ranch, where staff and volunteers chilled from the outdoor chores of caring for animals and fields would line up early for Ranch chef Bobbie Hawkins’ rib-sticking feast. The Ranch cafeteria is no longer open, but you can still get an easy chicken curry fix at home with this simple and tasty recipe.

Singapore Curry

¾ cup margarine

1 ¼ cup flour

¼ chopped onion

5 cups chicken stock

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cube chicken bouillon

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

2-3 tablespoons curry powder

3 ½ pounds cooked chicken, cut into ¾-inch pieces

Melt margarine, sauté onion, add flour and cook until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add stock gradually, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Cook until thickened. Mix in remaining ingredients except the chicken. Add chicken and stir gently to prevent breaking of chicken pieces. Season to taste as you go along. The dish should be quite yellow and have a distinct curry flavor. Serves 10-12. Serve over rice.

Toppings are what make this dish great! Try these:

French fried onion rings

Fresh sliced tomatoes

Bananas, cut in thick slices or chunks

Pineapple chunks

Coconut, shredded or flaked

Salted peanuts

Chutney