This classic Chicken Curry recipe really takes me back to my childhood. It reminds me of spending perfect Sundays at my Grandma’s house. Every time I make this dish it takes me back to our weekly family gatherings. Uncles, aunties and cousins would congregate at my grandma’s home every Sunday and whilst all the ladies would be busy helping to cook up a grand feast in the kitchen, all the men would be catching up on the latest business gossip or discussing the most recent sports headlines over chai (general man stuff !)
I was always in charge of kneading the chapati dough and I took my given duty very seriously, ensuring I had made enough and constantly pressing on the dough to check the consistency of it was just right. We always made a plethora of dishes, with plenty of fragrant cumin rice and rotis to go round, at least twice..it’s the Indian way! The aroma of the chicken curry dish would always pull me in immediately and I would scurry in-between family members to make sure I could land myself a generous portion before anyone else. Thinking about it, my eating habbits haven’t changed much since then..this still happens to this day!
The recipe below is for the boneless version. You can of course customise this recipe according to your preferences. I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you think of it below or alternatively tweet me @thespiceclub 🙂
Serves 4-6
What we need:
500g boneless chicken thighs (cut into 2″ cubes)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp garlic, grated
1/2 tin plum tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
2 bay leaves
1 small piece of cinnamon
1 black cardamom (optional)
2.5 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp yoghurt
Handful fresh coriander
How we do:
- Place the chicken in a bowl. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp garam masala & 2 tbsp yoghurt and mix well. If you have time, cover & leave to marinate overnight. If not, add oil to a wide pan. Once hot, add the chicken. Stir continuously & cook until the chicken is cooked & white all the way through. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Turn off & remove from heat.
- To make the masala, heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon & cardamom. Once they begin to splutter add the chopped onions, green chilli & 1 tsp of salt. Cook the onions on medium heat until they become translucent & are soft. (This should take 5-7 mins). Now add the 1/2tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger. Mix well & cook until the masala turns golden.
- Reduce the heat slightly & add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garam masala and 1 tsp turmeric powder and mix together. Now add the tomatoes to the masala & mash them together to make a paste.
- Once the oil begins to separate from the masala, add the chicken to the masala. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Now add 1 tbsp yoghurt. Continue to cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Now add a handful of fresh coriander. Turn off the heat. Check for salt and adjust accordingly.
- Best served with hot basmati cumin rice!
