Home-Style Chicken Curry

Anyone who enjoys eating curries should have their own recipe for a simple chicken curry, and this is mine. 

Start by peeling and chopping 3 medium onions, using red onions is more authentically Indian/Bangladeshi due to the sweetness they impart, but white onions work just as well.  Take a large pan and add enough vegetable or sunflower oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  Place on a medium high heat and add your chopped onions along with a pinch of salt and let them brown, stirring regularly so they don’t burn.

I also like to make my own simple Masala paste and do so as follows:

2 Pieces of Ginger Root, peeled
4 Chillies
6 Cloves of Garlic
5 Coriander or Parsley Stalks (optional)

Place these ingredients into a food processor (or if you have the time and energy, your favourite Pestle & Mortar) and add the following spices.

2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Chilli Powder

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

In addition to the spices add 1 teaspoon of salt, the juice from a tin of tomatoes and then blitz into a paste.  When the onions have browned, add your Masala paste to the pan, turn the heat to high and start to fry the paste for a couple of minutes.

 

Then add 4 chicken thighs, skin removed, but left on the bone.  Leaving the bone in the thigh adds flavour and can be easily removed after cooking.  Chicken legs can be used but it’s more difficult to remove the skin.

 

 

Turn the chicken thighs so they get evenly coated in the Masala, then add the tomatoes from the tin you used to make the Masala paste along with a  splash of malt vinegar or Tamarind paste for sourness.  Stir well and then add enough chicken or vegetable stock to almost cover.  If you don’t have stock, you can just cover with water.

 

 

On a medium heat, bring the curry to a simmer.  At this point I like to add a few potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized chunks.  They help thicken the sauce and make your curry go further.  Let it cook slowly for about 45 mins to 1 hour, but keep an eye on it.  Just before you serve, chop 2 more chillies and some coriander or parsley leaves and add to pan.  Serve with boiled rice.