MY MAN’S CHICKEN CURRY
If you like curry, try this recipe! The flavours are fresh and “clean” and has loads of flavour. Adjust the amount of chilli to your spice preference. We usually double the recipe because it tastes even better the next day! And we double up on some of the ingredients like the garram masala, chillies, tumeric, ginger and chopped tomatoes of the recipe below for extra flavour.
- 1 large onion
- 50 g ginger, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic gloves, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 5 cm cinnamon stick (or I teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes or use fresh birds eye chillis (we use 4 for lekker spicy!)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 400 g can chopped tomatoes
- 8 chicken thighs – skinned and boneless or breast (about 800 g)
- 250 ml hot chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- small bunch chopped coriander (a few tablespoons)
- cream or yogurt to taste
Roughly chop the onion, transfer to a small food processor, and add 3 tablespoons of water – process to a slack paste. You could use a stick blender for this or coarsely grate the onion into a bowl – there’s no need to add any water if you are grating the onion. Tip into a small bowl and leave on one side.
Put the chopped garlic cloves and ginger into the same food processor and add 4 tablespoons water – process until smooth and spoon into another small bowl. Alternatively, crush the garlic to a paste with a knife or garlic press and finely grate the ginger.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large pot/pan set over a medium heat.
Combine the cumin and fennel seeds with the cinnamon stick and chilli flakes and add to the pan in one go. Swirl everything around for about 30 secs until the spices release a fragrant aroma.
Add the onion paste – it will splutter in the beginning. Fry until the water evaporates and the onions turn a lovely dark golden – this should take about 7 – 8 mins.
Add the garlic and ginger paste and cook for another 2 mins – stirring all the time.
Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, and sugar and continue cooking for 20 secs before tipping in the can chopped tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Continue cooking on a medium heat for about 10 mins without a lid until the tomatoes reduce and darken.
Cut the chicken thighs or breast into 3 cm chunks and add to the pan once the tomatoes have thickened to a paste.
Cook for 5 mins to coat the chicken in the masala and seal in the juices, and then pour over the hot chicken stock.
Simmer for 8 – 10 mins without a lid until the chicken is tender and the masala lightly thickened – you might need to add an extra ladleful of stock or water if the curry needs it.
Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve with Indian flatbreads or fluffy basmati rice and a pot of yogurt on the side.
We stir in copious amounts of the plain yogurt and sprinkle with loads of coriander!
Recipe posted by Yolande Potgieter
Photo: Yolande Potgieter
