With the nights drawing in and the cold frosty winter upon us, why not keep warm with this homemade chicken curry.
Chicken curry with Bombay Potatoes
The Curry Secret
To make the perfect curry you have to start with a ‘base sauce’. It seems like a long process but is really worth taking the time to do it. This ‘base’ will be used as the foundation for all curries. You will also use some of the ‘base sauce’ to cook the meat before adding it to the finished curry.
Base Sauce (serves 4)
Ingredients
450g Onions
25g Fresh Ginger
25g Garlic
750ml Water
½ tsp Salt
120g Passata or Tinned Tomatoes
4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
½ tsp Tomato Puree
½ tsp Tumeric
½ tsp Paprika
- Roughly chop the ginger and garlic. Place the ginger and garlic in a blender/food processor with 150ml of the water, blend until smooth
- Peel the onions and roughly slice
- Put the onions and blended garlic and ginger mixture in a saucepan with the remaining water (600ml)
- Add the salt and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down to a low heat and simmer for 30mins. Then leave to cool slightly
- Once cooled slightly, pour the boiled onion mixture into a blender a blend until smooth (may need to do this in two batches)
- At this stage reserve 4 tablespoons of the mixture for cooking with the meat later
- If using tinned tomatoes, blend in a processor until smooth (no need to do if using passata)
- In a saucepan, add the oil, tomato puree, tumeric, paprika and blended tomatoes/passata. Bring to the boil
- Once boiling, turn down to a low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick, for about 5mins
- Add the blended onion mixture and bring to the boil again. Once boiling turn down the heat and simmer for about 20mins
The sauce can now be used to make your curry or can be refrigerated/frozen until ready for use.
Cooking the meat
Whether using chicken or lamb, the meat will need to be cooked in some of the reserved ‘base sauce’ prior to being added to the cury.
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
4 large chicken breasts or 450-500g lamb (I use lamb shoulder and trim off most the fat but leg can also be used)
3 tbs Rapeseed Oil
½ tsp Tumeric
4 tbs Reserved ‘Base sauce’
- Remove the fat/membrane from the meat and cut into equal sized chunks
- Place the oil, tumeric and reserved ‘base sauce’ into a saucepan and mix well
- Cook on a medium heat, stirring so it doesn’t stick until it darkens slightly in colour (about 5mins)
- Add the meat and continue cooking with a lid on for about 30mins or until tender (I find the lamb often takes a little longer than 30mins)
The cooked meat is now ready for use in your curry or it can be refrigerated until ready for use.
Chicken Dopiaza
This is a medium spiced dish with plenty of onions. More chilli powder can be added if you prefer a spicier curry. I often add two or three chopped fresh tomatoes and one or two peppers when frying the sliced onions at the start of the recipe but you can add what you wish.
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
6 tbs Rapeseed Oil
3 Onions, peeled and sliced
1 Fresh Red Chilli, finely chopped
425ml ‘Base Sauce’
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Hot Chilli Powder
Chicken (cooked as per previous)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Ground Cumin
½ tsp Ground Coriander
½ tsp Ground Fenugreek (optional)
1 tbs Fresh Coriander, finely chopped
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the sliced onions. Fry on a medium heat until transparent and soft but not starting to brown
- Add the red chilli, ‘base sauce’, salt, chilli powder and chicken. Stir well and cook for 10mins
- Add the garam masala, cumin, coriander, and fungreek (if using) and simmer for a further 10mins
- Add the fresh coriander, stir and serve
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