AMANDA’S MASALA CHICKEN CURRY
- 12 chicken pieces, bone in
- 2 onions
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped finely
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chicken masala
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic purée
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves
- 5 cardamom pods
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoons turmeric
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon tomato purée
- 150 natural yogurt (for a richer sauce, replace the yogurt with 4 tbs cream)
- 1 handful chopped coriander
- 15-20 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 2 whole (chopped if you prefer) green chillies
Peel and finely chop the onions.
Wash chicken.
Place 2 tbs water in a non-metallic bowl with 1 tsp garam and chicken masala, add salt.
Make a paste and rub into chicken pieces.
Let marinate for an hour.
Fry chicken in a heavy based pan or wok with oil for 2-3 minutes until sealed on each side. Set aside.
Sauté onions in same pan over medium heat until golden brown.
Add the ginger, garlic purée, curry leaves, pepper corns, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom and fry for one minute.
Add the ground coriander, cumin and turmeric.
Fry for 2 minutes until the mixture starts bubbling.
Add tomato purée and tomato and cook for 5 minutes.
Slowly add the yogurt (or cream) and a small handful of chopped coriander. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add a pinch of salt and cook for 1 minute more.
Return the chicken to the pan along with the chilli powder and chillies. Add more salt if needed.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes on a low heat.
If there is too much liquid in the pan, turn the heat up to medium and cook for a few minutes uncovered to let it evaporate.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped coriander or curry leaves as garnish.
Recipe and photo: Amanda Conradie