Nisha Katona

House Chicken Curry

Preparation info

  • Serves

    4–6

    • Difficulty

      Easy

    • Ready in

      1 hr 10

Appears in

Mowgli Street Food

Mowgli Street Food

By Nisha Katona

Published 2018

  • About

This chicken curry was the taste of dinner parties when I was growing up in 1970s Skelmersdale. Curry leaf and mustard seed give it a very distinctive South Indian flavour. This spice combination makes it so different to all the other Mowgli dishes.

Ingredients

  • 80 ml/2½ fl oz/â…“ cup vegetable oil
  • 1½ tsp black mustard seeds
  • 2 large white onions, finely diced
  • 7.5 cm/3 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
  • 6 garlic cloves, grated
  • 5 fresh curry leaves
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 500 g/1 lb 2 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 5 cm/2 inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds
  • 100 g/3½ oz creamed coconut
  • 200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup coconut milk
  • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp chilli powder
  • 1½ tbsp garam masala
  • 1½ tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp caster/granulated sugar
  • 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 200 g/7 oz/¾ cup plain yogurt
  • ½ small bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro, stalks and leaves roughly chopped

    Method

    1. Put the oil in a large heavy pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and fry until they fizz and pop, then add the diced onions, ginger and garlic and fry for 6 minutes until the onions have softened and turned golden brown.
    2. Add the curry leaves, cardamom pods and chicken pieces and fry for a further 3–5 minutes until the chicken is fully coated in the spices and browned all over. Turn the heat down to low and add the ground almonds, creamed coconut, coconut milk, 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup water, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, ground coriander, salt and sugar and cook, covered, for 45–50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
    3. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the green chilli and yogurt and give everything a good mix together. Loosen with a little more water if necessary. Finally stir through the fresh coriander just before serving.