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Ghayour house chicken kari

Name: Ghayour house chicken kari
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Ingredients: vegetable oil 4 tbsp; black mustard seeds 1 tsp; fenugreek seeds 1 tsp; cumin seeds 1 tsp; coriander seeds 1 tsp; cassia bark or cinnamon 1 stick; cardamom pods 3, crushed; onion 1 large, finely chopped; ginger 7½ cm piece; garlic 4 fat cloves, bashed and thinly sliced; green rocket or bird’s-eye chillies 1-2 small or long red chillies 1-2 large, stalks intact and split; skinless chicken thighs 8 large; ground turmeric 2 tsp; tomatoes 4 large, roughly diced; chopped tomatoes 400g tin; flatbreads or steamed rice, to serve

2 hours 30 minutes
serves 4-6
Easy

Try Sabina Ghayour's recipe for a rich tomato curry base – you can substitute the chicken with prawns, or use vegetables such as cauliflower, squash, courgettes or root vegetables to make a vegetarian or vegan alternative

By Sabrina Ghayour

Published: October 12, 2020 at 11:46 am

Try Sabrina Ghayour’s chicken kari recipe, adapted from her book Simply (£26, Mitchell Beazley). Also check out our chicken tikka masala, chicken korma, chicken biryani and more chicken curry recipes.

Ingredients

vegetable oil 4 tbsp
black mustard seeds 1 tsp
fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
coriander seeds 1 tsp
cassia bark or cinnamon 1 stick
cardamom pods 3, crushed
onion 1 large, finely chopped
ginger 7½ cm piece
garlic 4 fat cloves, bashed and thinly sliced
green rocket or bird’s-eye chillies 1-2 small or long red chillies 1-2 large, stalks intact and split
skinless chicken thighs 8 large
ground turmeric 2 tsp
tomatoes 4 large, roughly diced
chopped tomatoes 400g tin
flatbreads or steamed rice to serve

Method

Step 1

Put a large pan over a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the mustard, fenugreek, cumin and coriander seeds, the cassia bark and cardamom pods, and fry, shaking the pan, until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Stir in the onion and fry for a few minutes until it begins to colour and caramelise but without burning.
Step 2

Add the ginger, garlic and chillies, and briefly stir-fry for a minute or so, then add the chicken, turmeric and a generous amount of salt and pepper, and stir until the chicken is well coated in the mixture. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes, then pour over just enough cold water to cover the chicken. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent it catching and topping up the liquid with a little cold water if it starts to get too dry.
Step 3

Remove the cassia bark and cardamom pods, then check the seasoning before serving with flatbreads or steamed rice.