Before we start, I must admit that this is a re-blog of an earlier post of mine which has now been removed. I shall be doing this with a number of my earlier recipes over time as, since the date of their original posting, they have been significantly improved. This curry received the “special treatment” because it is such a fantastic recipe which I have, in the past few months, perfected. Indeed, I now genuinely understand what it takes to make a simply fantastic curry. First of all, don’t hold back on flavour – pack it full, or it shall only disappoint. Secondly, cook it for a significant length of time – this helps the flavour of the spices really develop. Thirdly, cook each type of meat in a different way – chicken needs to be added a mere 10-15 minutes before serving, while beef or lamb needs to be cooked from the start and for a long time.
This curry is simply delicious and makes use of very many fragrant ingredients, giving it a very light and healthy taste while also providing it with a jolly good punch. My apologies if a couple of the pictures are a little dodgy – it had become rather dark by the time it came to eat the curry, it shows a little. This is the only problem with autumn and winter, the days begin to draw in and when one gets round to eating, and taking photos, it is a little dark. Things may get a little tricky in the coming months.
Fragrant Chicken Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 3 breasts of chicken, chopped into large chunks
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 peppers, finely sliced
• 5 vine tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 500ml water
• Juice of 1 lime
• Bunch of fresh coriander
• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1 fresh chilli
• A good knob of fresh ginger
• 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
• 1 level tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
• Seasoning
• Oil
Method:
1. Blend the garlic, coriander, chilli, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and the juice of half a lime in a food processor in order to create a paste. Save a handful of the coriander and the stalks for later.
2. Fry off the onions in some oil and the paste until they are translucent. Then add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Proceed to add the tomatoes, pour in the water and cook for 40 minutes – until it has reduced by around half.
3. Pop some rice on to boil. Place in the chicken, cook for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the lime juice, the crème fraîche and the coriander stalks. Simmer for a further 10 minutes, giving the chicken plenty of time to cook. Season to taste and serve with the rice and a dollop of crème fraîche. One may flavour the rice in any way one wishes – the rice in the picture contained turmeric and some chopped up coriander.
Cost: This curry should cost no more than £1.20 per portion. Very cheap considering a main dish from a takeaway can cost as much as £8. Perhaps this blog will signal the end of Indian cuisine’s reign of terror on the wallets of the innocent public of Great Britain, then again, perhaps not.
47 replies on “Fragrant Chicken Curry”
Nice curry, I still find I prefer a good home made curry to a takeaway one.
There’s also some lovely light in the darker months too, I love the warmth you get with autumnal light, either that or use the flash.
Cheers
Marcus
Looks/reads wonderful! I am currently in Italy where (lamentably) there appears to be no crème fraîche to be found on grocery shelves, but will give it a try when I return to the States.
Thanks so much! You could try natural yoghurt… works just as well, or even cream. I’d have thought spices were the biggest difficulty Italy… they sure are in Spain.
That sounds very Indian. Nice balance of spices.
Thanks. It is seriously delicious! The best curry I’ve ever eaten.
It is good to re-blog old posts that you have improved, it is likely newer subscribers haven’t seen them and it is a good reminder for others. I have started to enjoy curry quite a bit in the last couple of years, this looks wonderful.
Oh definitely! I totally agree. I’ve massively into curry these days. Probably my favourite type of food. You should try it, it was simply delicious.
I love Chicken Curry!! Recipe sounds great…can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Thanks so much, please let me know how it goes… if it goes 😀
This looks so delicious, I can practically smell and taste it! Can’t wait to try it!
Please do, it was really amazing.
We love curry and eat it at least once a week, thank you for the great new flavours and that rice looks so sweet too! c
Me too! Why not try it, it was deeeeelish.
I want a spoon simply to eat the paste! *drooling*
I tried it… it had a bit of a kick.
Mmmm, perfect recipe for the cold weather… Pictures are great too.
Thanks, it’s really lovely. Really warming and fresh, perfect for autumn.
What a great recipe! I’ve been looking for a good curry and I think I just found it.
I think you have too 🙂
I am thrilled you reposted the recipe! Fabulous.
Have a happy day.
🙂 Mandy
Thanks so much, you too!
Wow, that looks fantastic. I haven’t made Indian food in a long while… I’m going to give this one a whirl. Especially since I have so many tomatoes in the garden right now!
Thanks. Please do, it’s so tasty! I used home grown tomatoes too.
Looks and sounds delicious. I’ve never made my own curry from scratch before so I think I’ll give it a shot. What sort of curry would you say this is? The ingredients sound Indian except for the lime juice.
Really?! Oh you simply have to. In that case I’d say it’s Indian food cooked by someone who likes lime… I don’t really know to be honest, but it’s delicious.
That is so tasty!! I love all the spices you used into the dish!!!
Thanks so much, it is by far my favourite curry – and that’s saying something.
Ok, you had me at curry. Must try!!
Hah, it really is!
This looks great!! I have been looking for a good curry chicken recipe for a while now. By the Way, I love the presentation!
Thanks so much, it’s really really delicious.
Loving your curry recipes! One day I’ll blog on Singapore curry (with a Southeast Asian flair) and you must take a look!
Thanks so much! I’ll check it out when you do.
Sometimes a recipe needs to be experimented with to improve it. Your curry sounds delicious and will be great in the cool weather.
Indeed. Thanks so much 😀
Looking forward to trying this tonight! South Africa has some great curries, but I’ve been hesitant to try too much myself. This looks very do-able and delish! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I hope it turned out ok.
This looks so wonderful…I really need to start making my own curries…this might just be the push I need!
Oh you must! There is nothing quite like a home made curry.
This sounds delicious – I will definitely have to give it a try.
I really like your blog!
Please do, I’m so glad, please come back!
nous aimons beaucoup les épices surtout le curry, cette recette me tente, je vais l’essayer
Reblogged this on Our Healthier Life and commented:
South Africa, believe it or not hosts the 2nd largest population of Indian people after India, of course. This has given me exposure to some seriously amazing food! Putting a healthy twist on the cuisine and keeping the delicious flavours is a challenge, but there are some great options to make it fresh and healthy. FrugalFeeding, one of my favorite blogs on food, has a great recipe we have done over and over. The addition of light coconut milk gives it a Thai twist if you like. I just had to reblog for those of you who love curry like we do!
I have only just found your blog via pinterest! Bloody good indeed!! Making this curry tonight for myself and my 2 teenage boys. I’ve just had knee surgery so this seems quick and easy so I won’t be on my feet for too long. Thanks for sharing!!
Wow! Thanks! Enjoy it – it was delicious 🙂
[…] It is music to my ears that my repertoire of curries and other roughly-Indian cuisine is rapidly expanding. The realisation that ground almonds, one of my favourite ingredients, was an accepted ingredient in a number of curries, set my considerable culinary imagination wild. When used, ground almonds always succeed in imparting a truly special quality that is never immediately obvious. However, on closer inspection, it is difficult to overestimate the richness and luxurious texture they bring. Happily, this recipe deserves to be counted among my very best and is certainly on-par with my beef curry and fragrant chicken curry. […]
I just came across your recipe and am looking forward to trying it. I was wondering, as I live in California and we have access to numerous peppers and chiles, what kind of pepper and what kind of chile do you use in your recipe?