Curry for Change

Changing the lives of families
who suffer from hunger.

Creamy Almond Chicken Curry

Ingredients

A delicious creamy, nutty chicken that is great for the family and also for friends. I like to use small chicken as I find them more succulent and keep the bones in for that delicious chicken flavour. If you don’t like the bones, you can ask your butcher to joint some chicken thighs for you and add these in with the chicken and take them out before serving or just cook thigh fillets, the dish will still work. If your yoghurt is particularly sour, add about 160-180g. I like to garnish my dish with lightly fried and halved almonds or fried brown, crisp onions.

Serves 4

 

650g chicken joints, skinned (see above)

200g plain, full fat yoghurt

2 bay leaves

4 tbs. ghee or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

25-30g (around 2 tbs. ginger paste, fresh ginger, made into a paste

5 fat cloves garlic, peeled and made into a paste

2-4 green chillies, whole (or to taste)

5 rounded tbs. ground almonds

½ tsp. green cardamom powder (powder seeds without husks)

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 rounded tsp. garam masala

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

80-100ml single cream or as much as you would like

Handful of freshly chopped coriander

25g blanched almonds, lightly fried in oil for garnish

Method

  1. Marinade the chicken in the yoghurt, ginger, garlic with 1 tsp. salt for as long as possible.
  2. Heat the ghee or oil in a medium sized, non-stick, saucepan.
  3. Add the bay leaves, onions and chillies and gently fry until the onions are translucent and really soft.
  4. Add the chicken and cook over a highish flame, stirring and turning the chicken in the yoghurt constantly until it comes to a boil and then for a further 5 minutes.
  5. Continue cooking, stirring often until the yoghurt has reduced considerably and you can see the fat being released at the base of the pan, another 10 minutes or so. Taste, it should taste harmonious and the garlic should be cooked.
  6. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken by a third, bring to a boil then cover and simmer over a gentle flame until the chicken is done, anything from 10-20 minutes, depending on size of chicken joints and how long it has taken you to reduce the yoghurt.
  7. Give the pot an occasional stir and make sure the pan does not run dry.
  8. Check the chicken is done by cutting into a thick piece and making sure the chicken is not pink.
  9. Stir in the remaining ingredients add enough water for a sauce the consistency of double cream or reduce over a high flame if it is too thin.
  10. Taste; this is the time for you to balance the flavours by adjusting seasoning and adding a little more cumin powder, black pepper and garam masala if you like.
  11. Sprinkle over the whole almonds and serve. 

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By Anjum Anand

Anjum Anand

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