Chicken Curry

This is a simple chicken curry based on a tikka masala paste. You can use this paste and recipe for anything, not just chicken.

 

It’s quick and easy to make and best served with a fluffy basmati rice.

 

Note: If you aren’t using chicken, you may just need to adjust your cooking time a bit.

Step 1

Put your coriander and cumin seeds in a pan at a medium heat to toast. Give them a shake occasionally to make sure they don’t burn, and when they are smelling fragrant take off the heat and put in a mortar and pestle (if you don’t have one, you can use a blender). Grind until powder.

 

Add the rest of your dry spices and continue to grind.

 

Once they are well mixed, chuck the garlic and ginger into the mortar and pestle and pound until you create a paste.

 

Roughly chop the coriander and add along with the coconut and salt and pound into a paste.

 

Finally, mix in your tomato paste. And that’s it, your tikka masala paste is ready!

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Step 2

Cut your chicken breast into strips lengthwise, and then cut those strips in half again, so you end up with short strips.

 

Finely slice you onion and ginger (and fresh chili if using) and set aside.

 

Remove the leaves from the coriander and set aside. Finely chop the stalks.

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Step 3

Get a pot on a medium heat and add a good glug of olive oil and the butter. When the butter starts to foam, add the onion, ginger and chili.

 

Sweat this down for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. You don’t want to caramelise the onion, just slowly cook it.

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Step 4

Once the onions are soft, add the paste you made earlier and cook for a minute (if you are using dried chili, chuck it in now too).

 

Then add you chicken and mix so everything is nicely coated.

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Step 5

Now add your chopped tomato and coconut cream and stir. If you feel there is not enough liquid, you can always add some water.

Now add your chopped tomato and coconut cream and stir. If you feel there is not enough liquid, you can always add some water.

 

Put on the lid and allow to slowly simmer for 20 min, stirring occasionally.

 

Around now is when you want to make your rice. What I do is use a 1 to 1.5 ratio, so 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups salted water. Add this to a pot and bring to the boil, covered, until the water is evaporated (try not open the lid too much). Once the water is gone, remove from the heat and set aside for 10 min (still covered). Then you can fluff it with a fork and it will be ready.

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Step 6

After 20 min your curry is ready!

 

Serve with rice, the coriander leaves and yoghurt. 

Enjoy!

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Ingredients

Curry Paste:

 

1.5x Teaspoons Coriander Seeds

1x Teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1x Teaspoon Cyan Pepper

1x Teaspoon Paprika

1x Teaspoon Smoked Paprika

2x Teaspoons Garam Masala

1x Teaspoon Dried Chili (or 1x Fresh Chili)

1/2x Teaspoon Salt

1x Tablespoon Desiccated Coconut

50g Tomato Paste

2x Cloves Garlic

1x Thumb Sized Piece Ginger

Small Bunch Coriander


Chicken Curry:


4x Chicken Breasts

1x Large Onion

1x Teaspoon Dried Chili (or 1x Fresh Chili)

1x Thumb Sized Piece Ginger

Small Bunch Coriander

1x Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1x Tin Coconut Cream

Knob of Butter

Plain Yoghurt (for searving)