Wednesday recipe: Chicken curry

Indian chicken curry

4 chicken breast fillets (cut in large dice -- six to a fillet)
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Pinch of sugar and salt
3 tbsps curry powder, whichever you prefer
1 tbsp Chinese five-spice mix
1 ltr chicken stock (fresh is best, a stock cube is fine, or just water)
1½ tbsps of cornflour (softened with water)
1 bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbps sunflower oil

1.       Heat a little sunflower oil in a pan and quickly colour the diced chicken. Remove from the pan and leave to one side. Add a little more oil to the pan and sweat the sliced onion and garlic until soft, but do not let them colour.

2.       Add the curry powder and Chinese five-spice mix and cook for a minute or two, then gradually add in stock. Bring to the boil and skim off any excess fat, if you've used a homemade stock. Season to taste with salt, and add a pinch of sugar.

3.       Thicken slightly with cornflour adding it bit by bit until you have the consistency you like.

4.       Now add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for between six and eight minutes. This will ensure the chicken is cooked through but still moist.

5.       Finish the sauce with a tablespoon or two of the chopped coriander leaves. You could also add some yogurt for a creamier sauce.

6.       If you leave your curry until the next day, it will always taste so much better as all the flavours will fuse together.

Serve with white boiled rice and naan bread

Alternatives:

Some people like a fruity curry, if so add some chopped apple or raisins.

To increase flavour and nutritional content add some frozen spinach.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

A Thai Curry contains numerous fresh herbs and spices not all of which are easy to get. If like me you do not have access to speciality ethnic stores then look out for Thai curry pastes.

4 chicken breasts
2 sliced onions
1 sliced green pepper
3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
Tin of coconut milk
Splash of vegetable oil

1.       Slice the chicken breasts into large pieces and stir into 1 tablespoon of thai green curry paste and leave.

2.       Soften the onions in the oil but do not colour.

3.       Add the chicken in paste and fry to colour chicken.

4.       Add chopped green pepper and tin of coconut milk.

5.       Stir in the rest of the curry paste (with practice you will know how much/little you prefer) and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.

6.       Check chicken is cooked.

Serve with white boiled rice or rice noodles.  You may wish to add chopped scallions or chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.

Alternatives:  This works just as well or even better with monkfish instead of chicken.  Add the fish with then coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes and check…the fish will be opaque if cooked but not tough.
Thai red curry paste is spicier in flavour but just as good.