The Scottish Mail on Sunday - You
Paradise chicken curry
Once while on holiday with one of my close friends I took an afternoon cooking course. The first dish we tackled was a chicken curry made with fresh local ingredients. Bliss! This curry is inspired by that cooking lesson many moons ago and has been enjoyed by many people, my stepchildren especially. They are chicken curry experts and are very honest, so I was chuffed when this dish got a firm thumbs up. It’s full of spice and exotic flavours and has a ton of health-boosting protein from the chicken. If, like me, you don’t eat chicken, substitute it with smoked tofu. The flavours and textures work just as well. SERVES 4 30g coconut oil 2 onions, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 10g root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tbsp red curry paste 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tbsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 10 cardamom pods, bruised with a rolling pin so the skin pops open 5 cloves 4 tbsp tomato purée 400g tin coconut milk 1kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-size chunks 150g spinach cooked brown rice or quinoa, to serve small handful of chives or fresh coriander leaves, to serve sea salt
Put the coconut oil in a large high-sided pan and set over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 8 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to sweat down for another 2 minutes until aromatic.
Add the curry paste, chilli flakes, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cloves and tomato purée and fry for 2 minutes to release the flavour of the spices.
Stir the coconut milk into the spice paste until combined. Add the chicken, 200ml of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the spinach and cook for a minute or two until it wilts. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve in bowls with rice or quinoa, scattered with the chives or coriander.