A firm family favourite in our house, this is actually really easy to make - don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients! It is one of those recipes that can be made in large quantities and then frozen into portions for nights when you really can’t be bothered cooking. My children like their veggies raw and crunchy. We add whatever is in season as a side.
Ingredients
For the curry:
Half a teaspoon of ground turmeric
2 tablespoons of plain, unsweetened yoghurt
800g of chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into generous chunks
A splash of olive oil
2 green chillies, sliced (you can remove the seeds to create a milder curry or leave out altogether)
1 onion, diced
1 small tin of tomato’s (about 140g)
100ml of coconut milk
Salt and pepper
A bunch of fresh coriander
Brown or basmati rice (we prefer brown)
Seasonal veg from the garden, eg beans, cucumber, etc.
For the curry paste:
A teaspoon of olive oil
3cm chunk of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
4 dried chillies
Half a teaspoon of black peppercorns
2 teaspoons of fennel seeds
5 cardamom pods, seeds only
Method
For the curry. Mix the yoghurt, turmeric and a pinch of salt together. Add chicken. Combine well. Leave for at least an hour to marinate in the fridge.
For the curry paste. Fry the garlic and ginger in a little oil for about a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until lightly coloured. Allow to cool. Blend all ingredients together with a couple of tablespoons of water to a fine paste.
To finish. Use a heavy based, non stick pan on medium heat. Sizzle the chillies in hot oil for about 10 seconds. Add the diced onion and cook until softened. Add tomatoes and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes. You will notice the sauce thickening and the most wonderful aroma filling the kitchen.
Increase heat and place marinated chicken in the sauce along with about 109ml of water. Season well. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes. Add the coconut milk and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Serve with rice, a big dollop of plain, unsweetened yoghurt, crunch veggies from the garden and a generous handful of coriander. Yum!