Chicken and red fig curry

Serves 4

Chicken thighs and dried fruit, cooked with glorious spices and a good whack of chilli heat, make a great pairing, with the heat and spice counteracting the sweetness brought by the figs. You can substitute any other dried fruit. This midweek curry is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, skin removed but bones in

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 Tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp each cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and black mustard seeds 1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp crumbled dried curry leaves 8 cardamom pods

16 dried red figs

8 sun-dried tomatoes (more if you prefer) 2 Tbsp masala

1 tsp chilli powder

1 litre chicken stock

Salt

2 heaped tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method

• Pour the oil into a heavy pot and add the cumin, fennel, fenugreek and mustard seeds, bay leaf, cardamom pods and crumbled dried curry leaves. Stir and leave it to braise very gently on a moderately low heat until the seeds begin to pop.

• Add the chopped onion and garlic and simmer until softened. Add the dried figs and sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken. Stir, and cook gently for five minutes.

• Stir in the masala, chilli powder and stock. Season with salt to taste, and continue to cook for about half an hour. When the chicken is tender, pour or spoon off the sauce into a saucepan. Leave it to cool, spoon off excess oil and then bring the sauce to a boil. Cook rapidly until reduced by a third to half. Stir in the dissolved cornflour. Simmer for two minutes to thicken, while stirring.

Serve with turmeric-cumin basmati rice.

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