Believe it or not, I have not had much experience with curry as a spice.  In fact, I thought my husband was not fond of it.  I finally asked him what he had against curry and he said that he liked curry.  His mistress must have been serving it to him – just kidding.  I have been cooking for this man for over 40 years and, I must admit, he really does like my cooking.  So here it is, my first big experiment with curry.  It was a resounding success.  My husband made me save the sauce even after the chicken was gone just so he could still enjoy it with the peas! A truly decadent dish.

Curried Chicken Thighs with Peas

4 tsp. olive oil (divided)

8-10 boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken thighs

salt and pepper

1 large red onion sliced

2 T curry powder

2 cloves of garlic minced

1-2 tsp. fresh minced ginger or ½ tsp. ground

4 T flour

10 oz. reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 T sherry

1 C low fat milk

1 bag 10 oz. frozen peas

¼ C low fat mayonnaise

1 T lemon juice

2 T unsalted butter

¾-1 C bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375*. Coat a 9 by 13 inch (or similar 3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat 2 tsp. oil in non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry then sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add half the chicken to the pan and cook until browned on both sides about 8-10 minutes total. Transfer to platter and repeat the rest of the chicken.

Add 2 tsp. oil to pan and add the sliced onion. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until softened and light golden brown. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add curry and cook for a minute. Add flour and stir to coat.

Add broth, sherry, and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peas, mayo, and lemon juice. Place the chicken in one layer in casserole dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Heat butter in another pan and add breadcrumbs until mixed. Spread over chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil so the breadcrumbs will brown and cook for another 5-10 minutes until it is bubbling.

Serve with rice or buttered noodles.