CHICKEN VINDALOO

Vindaloo is one of our favourite curries – and once the marinating is done it’s fairly quick to make.

Serves 4

8-10 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on 2tbsp vegetable oil or ghee 1 onion, sliced 2 green chillies, slit lengthways, deseeded if you like 20 curry leaves (from supermarkets) 400g (14oz) tomatoes, peeled and chopped

For the marinade

1 onion, chopped 1 garlic bulb, cloves chopped 20g (¾oz) root ginger, chopped 100ml (3½fl oz) red wine vinegar 3cm (1¼in) cinnamon stick 1tsp each cumin and coriander seeds 1tsp black peppercorns 1tsp cardamom pods, seeds only 1tsp each fenugreek and mustard seeds 6 cloves 2tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (try online, or use mild chilli powder) 1tsp turmeric 1tsp each sugar and salt First make the marinade. Blitz the onion, garlic and ginger in a blender with 2-3tbsp of the red wine vinegar to a paste. Toast the whole spices in a dry pan until aromatic, grind in a mortar and pestle and then mix with the chilli powder, turmeric, sugar and salt. Stir in the onion paste and the rest of the vinegar. Put the chicken in a bowl, pour over the marinade and rub it in well. Cover and chill for as long as you can – preferably overnight.

Take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before you want to cook it. Put half the oil or ghee in a frying pan. Scrape the marinade off the chicken and reserve it, then fry the pieces skin-side down until browned. It’s best to do this in a couple of batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan – the chicken pieces need plenty of room around them to brown properly. Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Heat the rest of the oil or ghee in a casserole dish. Add the onion, green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved marinade, then bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the chicken, skin-side up. Partially cover and simmer for half an hour until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced. Serve with rice.