THE SUNDAY COOK

Spice trail: easy curry recipes from around the world

INGREDIENTS

5 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large white onions, cut in half

and thinly sliced

5cm piece of fresh root ginger,

peeled and grated

6 garlic cloves, grated

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground fenugreek

½ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp chilli powder

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

5 tbsp Greek-style yogurt

2 tbsp tandoori masala

750g bone-in chicken thighs,

diced

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

80g butter METHOD

Put the oil in a large heavy pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, ginger and garlic and fry for eight minutes or until the onions have softened and turned golden brown.

Turn the heat down to low and add the cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, chilli powder, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes and yogurt, stir well and cook for a further five minutes.

Blend with a hand-held/ immersion blender until it turns into a smooth sauce, then set aside.

Rub the tandoori masala into the diced chicken then, in a separate large non-stick frying pan set over a medium-high heat, fry for six minutes or until the chicken starts to change colour and brown at the edges.

Add the browned chicken to the blended sauce. Return to a low heat and slowly add up to 500ml of water to achieve the consistency of sauce that you like.

Add the salt and sugar and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Finish by stirring the butter through to create a thick and creamy sauce. Don’t be afraid to add a little water to loosen the sauce to your taste.

Recipe from Mowgli

Street Food by Nisha Katona (Nourish Books, £25)