Easy Chicken Curry

This recipe is a heartwarming rendition of one of my favourite cookery writer’s (Meera Sodha) curries. It’s mild in spice, slightly creamy, and packed with flavour. One of the best things you can do when making curry is to make your own paste, a sort of mirepoix but with ginger, garlic and chilis. These fresh ingredients cook down softly in the curry, releasing so much extra flavour that you simply can’t get from a store-bought paste.

If you want to make this vegetarian, swap in a can of chickpeas. Vegan? Sub the yoghurt for a non dairy coconut yoghurt.

Chicken Curry

Serves 2-4, easily doubles

 Ingredients

1 2” piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 tbsp chopped cilantro stems

2 green chilis, deseeded (or 1 if too spicy)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1 small red onion, finely diced

½ jar, about 1 ½ cups, tomato passata (strained tomatoes)

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric

3 tbsp full fat yoghurt, or at least 2%

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces

1 tbsp garam masala

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

 Method

1.     In a food processor, add the ginger, garlic, cilantro stems, green chilis and a pinch of salt. Blitz until it forms a paste, adding a tablespoon of water if needed, set aside.

2.     Heat the butter in oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the onion and cook for 15 minutes until slightly golden, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if it begins to stick.

3.     Once the onions have softened, add the tomato passata, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the ground cumin and turmeric. Gradually stir through the yoghurt until well combined.

4.     Add the chicken and cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

5.     Stir through the garam masala and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

6.     Serve with basmati rice and garnish with cilantro.