Rustic jungle-style chicken curry
A flavoursome chicken curry made with fenugreek leaves, black cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks among other spices. Serve with Vivek Singh's triangle parathas.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp vegetable or corn oil
- 5 cloves
- 2.5cm/1in piece cinnamon stick, broken in half
- 2 black cardamom pods
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- whole chicken (1.2kg–1.5kg/2lb 11oz-3lb 5oz), skinned and cut into 8 pieces on the bone
- ½ tbsp ginger paste
- ½ tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 green chillies, halved
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- rice or parathas, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan, add the whole spices and bay leaf and fry. Once the spices change colour and become fragrant, add the onions and garlic and fry until golden-brown.
Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 6–8 minutes over a high heat, or until browned all over.
Add the ginger and garlic pastes, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, chilli flakes, cumin and coriander and cook, stirring, over a high heat for 2–4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure that the spices do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once the oil starts to separate out from the masala around the edges of the pan, add 500ml/18fl oz of water, bring to the boil, and then simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Add the halved chillies, the garam masala, fenugreek and lemon juice.
Just before serving sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve with rice or parathas.