Mild chicken curry
Tom Parker Bowles shares this royally inspired mild chicken curry made special with a homemade garam masala spice blend.
Ingredients
For the garam masala
- 1 tbsp green cardamom pods, husks cracked
- 1½ cinnamon sticks
- ½ tsp cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
For the curry
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1½ tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2–3 tbsp mild curry powder
- 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
- 500ml/18fl oz hot chicken stock (or water)
- 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skin removed
- 3 tbsp plain yoghurt
- a big pinch saffron strands
- handful fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp garam masala (see above)
- a big pinch sea salt
To serve
- steamed or boiled basmati rice
- ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
- 2 tomatoes, skinned, stalk removed and finely diced
- 4 tbsp plain yoghurt
- 8 poppadoms
- 3 tbsp mango chutney
- 2 shallots, sliced and fried in oil until brown and crisp, then drained on kitchen paper
Method
To make the garam masala, dry roast all the ingredients in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat until you smell the oils being released. Put into a spice grinder, grind, then store in an airtight container. This will last 3 months.
To make the curry, heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the cardamom pods and bay leaves, and cook until they crackle and pop. Add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes until soft, then add the ground coriander, turmeric and curry powder, plus the flour, and stir well.
Add the cold stock gradually, stirring to make a sauce, the add the chicken, yoghurt, salt and saffron. Simmer gently for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the parsley and garam masala, and cook for a couple more minutes, then retrieve the cardamon pods and bay leaves and discard.
Serve with the basmati rice and other accompaniments.
