Ingredients
45 ml sunflower oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
30 ml aromatic curry powder
15 ml garlic, finely chopped (or more, to taste)
15 ml ginger, finely grated
5 ml chili powder or dried red chili flakes (or to taste)
5 ml cardamom seeds
5 ml cumin seeds
a small pinch of ground cloves
45 ml tomato paste
15 ml white vinegar
15 ml sugar
250 ml Safari Golden Sultanas
500 ml prepared chicken stock
a handful of curry leaves (optional)
1 kg chicken breast fillets, cut into small bite-size pieces
65 - 80 ml chakalaka soup powder
salt and ground white pepper, to taste
coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
Chef's hint: You can use any chicken portions that you like; white meat, brown meat, bone in or bone out. If you do use a different portion, adjust the cooking time accordingly. For instance, thighs with the bone in, would cook for 30 – 40 minutes, at least.
Hint: And remember the ever-present caution to not overcook your chicken breast fillets - they will become hard and dry and in this case, even stringy.
Method
Heat the oil then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the curry powder, garlic, ginger, chili powder, cardamom, cumin and ground cloves and fry another minute, not longer.
Add the tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, sultanas, stock and curry leaves (if using) and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes on low then mix the soup powder with a little cold water to form a smooth paste. Stir as much of the paste into the curry to thicken it to your taste then cook on low for 5 more minutes.
Increase heat, add the chicken pieces and stir. Turn heat to low and cook for 3 minutes. Taste and season it to taste with salt and white pepper, if the curry requires it. At this stage you can even add more sugar or vinegar or both to suit your own taste.
Once you're happy with the seasoning, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the saucepan to rest on the kitchen counter for 5 minutes to ensure the chicken is completely cooked.
Serve your curry garnished with coriander leaves over fragrant rice alongside a selection of fresh sambals.
Serves 6 – 8.
Ingredients
15 ml sunflower oil
15 – 30 ml red masala curry paste (see recipe) (or to taste)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
10 ml coriander seeds, crushed
10 ml cumin seeds, crushed
5 ml salt (or to taste)
1 ml ground cloves
15 – 30 ml garlic, finely chopped (or to taste)
15 ml ginger root, finely chopped
65 ml tomato paste
250 ml tomato puree
1 x 425 g can of coconut milk or cream
30 – 45 ml sugar (or to taste)
zest and juice of a lime or a lemon
250 g carrots, sliced into thin rings
250 g green beans, sliced into 3 cm pieces
800 g chicken breast fillets, cut into small bite-sized pieces
corn flour (optional)
mint and coriander leaves, to serve
Chef's hint: It is worth making your own curry paste. It lasts forever in the fridge and is much nicer than the store-bought varieties. The best thing is, you can vary the chili heat according to your own taste.
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the curry paste, onion, coriander, cumin, salt to taste and ground cloves. Stir-fry until just aromatic.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds then add the tomato paste and puree, the coconut milk or cream, sugar and lime or lemon zest and juice.
Bring to the boil and cook without a lid until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, about 10 minutes, stirring often. If you like a smooth sauce, now is the time to use your stick blender and blend the sauce until smooth.
Add the carrot rings and cook for 4 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for 2 more minutes then add the chicken.
At this stage quickly adjust the seasoning to your own liking: more curry paste, salt, lemon or lime juice and sugar. Also now, if you want to, thicken the curry to your liking with a little paste made from corn flour and a little cold water. Whatever you do, do it quickly as you do not want to overcook this dish. The chicken will be tough while the veggies will go mushy on you!
Once you‘re happy with the taste and consistency of the curry, transfer it to a serving dish, scatter with mint and coriander leaves and serve with fragrant rice.
Serves 6 – 8.
recipes from www.ilovecooking.co.za