Edward Hayden: Fruity Chicken Curry

Tue, 16 May 2017

 

I simply love a curry but it is so difficult to get a good one. This recipe is delicious and creamy and is ideal for those cool days. I like to serve this with freshly boiled basmati rice. As with all curries this is perhaps even better on the second day.

 

6-8 chicken breasts-diced

3 cloves of garlic-diced

1 red chilli-finely diced

1 medium sized onion-sliced very thinly

1 teaspoon of tomato puree

2 tablespoons of mild curry powder

1 tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon of turmeric

½ teaspoon of ground cumin

½ teaspoon ginger

Pinch crushed chilli flakes

7floz/200ml pouring cream/coconut milk

18floz/500ml boiling hot chicken stock

Seasoning

2 tablespoons mango chutney

2oz/50g sultanas

12oz/350g Vegetables – cut into chunks (peppers, mushrooms, onions, carrots, courgettes)

 

Garnish:

2oz/50g flaked almonds-toasted

2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

Freshly chopped parsley/coriander

 

Preheat a wide based sauté pan and add to it a little oil. Fry the diced chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Next add in the sliced onions, diced garlic and chilli (and your chosen vegetables) and allow them to cook quite gently until they are softened and glazed with the meat juices. This stage should take about 4-5 minutes.

Now add in the tomato puree and allow this to coat the ingredients in the sauté pan-this will give the curry a developed taste and flavour as well as helping with the formation of colour.

Next add in the curry powder together with the flour, turmeric, cumin & ginger and allow them to coat all of the contents of the pot and to dry up any juices. You will get a wonderfully fragrant aroma in the kitchen at this stage. The chicken stock can go in now and allow this mixture to come to the boil at which stage you can add in the pouring cream or coconut milk and again allow it to re-boil. Taste and season as is required, adding the mango chutney and sultanas at this stage.

I normally reduce the heat at this stage and allow the curry to cook gently for 20-30 minutes. It is important to let it cook for a while to cook out the “gritty” taste of the curry powder

Serve the curry steaming hot with some freshly boiled basmati rice and some naan bread if required.

Garnish with the flaked almonds, chopped coriander/parsley and natural yoghurt.