Lorna’s Chicken Curry Recipe

Ingredients

8 skinless chicken thighs (you can leave the bone or have it diced) or 3-4 chicken breasts (diced)
2 large onions – finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh garlic – finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh ginger – finely chopped
3 teaspoons cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 teaspoon onion seeds (black) also known as Nigella seed (Kalonji)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
4 tablespoons cooking oil (vegetable oil or olive oil)
2 teaspoons turmeric powder (Haldi)
2 teaspoons salt (add more or less to taste)
1-2 teaspoons chillies – finely chopped (add more or less to taste)
5 fresh vine tomatoes or 1 tin plum tomatoes – chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 tablespoons fresh coriander to garnish

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, onion seeds & mustard seeds – allow seeds to darken &‘pop’.
Add garlic & ginger – fry until slightly golden brown.
Add onion & stir. Add ½ cup water & cover pan for 8-10 minutes to allow onions to soften then uncover the pan and fry until golden brown.
Add salt, turmeric and chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients are mixed together.
Add tomatoes and cover the pan for 10 to 15 minutes on a low-medium heat. This simmering allows all the flavours to come together and intensify.
Next, uncover the pan and cook on full heat for a further 3-4 minutes until the oil runs free from the masala mixture.
Add the chicken and cook on full heat for 3 to 4 minutes until all the chicken is coated in the masala sauce. Cover the pan and cook on a low-medium heat for a further 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the garam masala & taste. Adjust seasoning if required.
Garnish with coriander and serve with Basmati Rice or Indian breads.

Recipe notes

Add 1 cup yoghurt (or cream) to the above to make a Chicken Korma, and sprinkle with crushed almonds (optional).

To cook the perfect rice, the ratio is 1 glass of rice to 2 glasses of water. Wash the rice and leave to soak for at least 20 minutes. Add a knob of butter to a pan & 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, a few cardamom pods and a cinnamon stick (if you wish). Once browned, drain the rice and add to the pan, mix through and then add water for cooking (using the above ratio). Bring to boil, cover & cook on minimal heat.