RECIPES
Ingredients
2 tbsp oil or ghee
2 large onions, finely sliced
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
Thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 heaped tbsp mild curry paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric
4 cardamom pods, bashed
1 cinnamon stick
4 chicken breasts or 8 boneless chicken thighs (about 600g), cut into bite-sized chunks
250g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes
600ml chicken stock (2-3 chicken stock cubes, dissolved in 600 ml boiling water)
200ml coconut milk
75g frozen peas
¾ cups chopped carrots
½ cauliflower (about 225g) broken into small florets
Chopped coriander leaves, yogurt or raita and chutney, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat, then fry the onion, garlic and ginger until brown and fragrant, about 10 mins. Stir in the curry paste, turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon, and stir for a few minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring to colour on all sides.
Add the rice, stir well, then stir in the stock, coconut milk, salt and the veggies. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, pop the lid on and cook for about 25-30 mins until the water has been absorbed, the chicken and rice are cooked through, and the veg is tender. Season to taste. Garnish with coriander. Serve with yogurt or raita and chutney on the side.
Ingredients
4-6 bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, with shallow cuts
Marinade spices
1 tsp mild curry powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
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2 tbsp yogurt
5 tbsp ghee or oil
3 bay leaves
2 large onions, finely sliced
6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
Salt as needed
5 green chillies, sliced, to serve
Chopped coriander, to serve
Method
Put the chicken in a bowl, add the marinade spices and yogurt with ½ tsp salt and mix well. The chicken can be left to marinate for a few hours, or cooked straight away – leaving it to marinate will make it more tender.
Melt the ghee in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the chicken for 5 mins on each side until golden. Remove from the pan and transfer to the bowl, leaving the ghee in the pan.
Keep the pan on the heat and scrape it to release any caramelised bits stuck to the bottom. Add the bay leaves and fry until they start to smell aromatic. Add the onions and garlic, followed by the ginger and 1-1½ tsp salt. Stir, cover and cook until soft and translucent, about 8-10 mins.
Stir in the rest of the spices and salt and fry over a low heat for 5-8 mins. Add 200ml water, cover and cook for a further 3-4 mins, or until the ghee separates from the masala (it should be bubbling around the edges of the pan).
Add the chicken back to the pan, including any meat juices. Spoon some of the masala over the chicken and cover. Cook for a further 10-15 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the sliced green chillies and chopped coriander and serve immediately.
Ingredients
3 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 or 2 dried chillies, depending on personal preference
1 tsp salt
Thumb-size piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tbsp tomato purée
4 tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
Vegetable or sunflower oil, to cover the paste for storing
Method
Put the seeds and peppercorns into a dry frying pan or tawa over a medium heat. Cook for about three minutes, stirring often, until the mustard seeds start to pop and the seeds turn golden and aromatic. Tip into a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add the turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and dried chillies to a pestle and mortar. Add the cooled toasted spices and grind everything together into a fine powder. Add the salt.
Add grated ginger, garlic, tomato purée and white wine vinegar and mix well to make a paste.
Use immediately, or spoon the paste into a jar, cover with a layer of oil, seal with a lid and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground ginger
Method
In a small bowl, mix all the ground spices.
Use immediately, or store in an
air-tight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.