Nothing beats the flavour of my Dad's "famous" curry !(Note : My "East African Chicken Curry" recipe can be found here)
My Dad makes the most delicious curries. He makes the “real deal” and tries to get all his spices and pastes from authentic oriental markets (like the one in Durban, South Africa) and Zanzibar. He stocks up on Zanzibari spices at our local markets & shops when he visits us in Tanzania, and I often bring him more spices when I come to visit. He has been known to travel with his “box of spices” when visiting far flung family members who crave his curries and as a result has cooked curries in Spain, England and on his visits to us in Tanzania.
So, it was only natural when he asked me what meals I’d like to eat whilst I am here, that I replied “One of your curries, Dad” and I opted for chicken as I love chicken and could eat it every day !
So, here is my Dad’s “famous” curry recipe -:
Dad’s Chicken Curry
+-1 kg assorted Chicken pieces (thighs, legs, wings, breast pieces)
Sunflower oil for frying
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp medium Curry Powder (yellow coloured one works well for this recipe)
1 tsp ground Chilli Powder
1 tbsp each of lightly roasted coriander & cumin seeds, ground in a pestle
2 - 3 Bay Leaves
1 – 2 tsp ground Cummin
1 tbsp ground Turmeric (or a little saffron)
2 tomatoes, chopped/peeled
Water
1 bunch fresh Coriander, chopped
1 tsp ground Garam Masala
2 tsp fresh Ginger, grated
Salt – to taste
chopped fresh Chillies (with or without seeds) – to taste
Lightly fry the chicken pieces in the oil until golden. Remove the chicken & lightly fry the onion & garlic. Add the curry powder, chilli powder, roasted ground coriander & cumin seeds & bay leaves and fry lightly to release the flavours. Add the ground cumin & half the turmeric then add the tomatoes & cook lightly, adding water if necessary. Only then add the chicken pieces & cook for about 10 mins with the lid on. Then add the remaining ingredients - coriander, garam masala, fresh ginger, salt, fresh chillies & the other half of the turmeric. Cook covered for 30 mins & according to taste, add more chillies & a little more water (or milk) until the right texture is reached.
Serve on a bed of basmati rice with sambals (mixture of chopped tomato, cucumber, onions, green pepper & celery) chutney, sliced bananas & grated coconut on the side.
Poppadums can also be served as an accompaniment and if you’d like to try them prepared according to Haandi’s restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (known to be one of the very best of it’s kind !) then spread some of the sambals over the p0ppadums before serving & add a liberal sprinkling of fresh coriander over the top – delicious !
My Dad notes “I like my curry to be light in both texture & colour, which should be yellowish to complement the chicken. To me the flavour is determined by the curry powder & spices, whilst the hotness is determined by the fresh chillies. Both these can be regulated to personal taste. I like a strong coriander influence, without dominating the overall flavour which is a typical Durban Indian curry influence. Quantities of ingredients should be by choice, so you can adjust any of the ingredients to suit your own taste”.
So, it was only natural when he asked me what meals I’d like to eat whilst I am here, that I replied “One of your curries, Dad” and I opted for chicken as I love chicken and could eat it every day !
So, here is my Dad’s “famous” curry recipe -:
Dad’s Chicken Curry
+-1 kg assorted Chicken pieces (thighs, legs, wings, breast pieces)
Sunflower oil for frying
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp medium Curry Powder (yellow coloured one works well for this recipe)
1 tsp ground Chilli Powder
1 tbsp each of lightly roasted coriander & cumin seeds, ground in a pestle
2 - 3 Bay Leaves
1 – 2 tsp ground Cummin
1 tbsp ground Turmeric (or a little saffron)
2 tomatoes, chopped/peeled
Water
1 bunch fresh Coriander, chopped
1 tsp ground Garam Masala
2 tsp fresh Ginger, grated
Salt – to taste
chopped fresh Chillies (with or without seeds) – to taste
Lightly fry the chicken pieces in the oil until golden. Remove the chicken & lightly fry the onion & garlic. Add the curry powder, chilli powder, roasted ground coriander & cumin seeds & bay leaves and fry lightly to release the flavours. Add the ground cumin & half the turmeric then add the tomatoes & cook lightly, adding water if necessary. Only then add the chicken pieces & cook for about 10 mins with the lid on. Then add the remaining ingredients - coriander, garam masala, fresh ginger, salt, fresh chillies & the other half of the turmeric. Cook covered for 30 mins & according to taste, add more chillies & a little more water (or milk) until the right texture is reached.
Serve on a bed of basmati rice with sambals (mixture of chopped tomato, cucumber, onions, green pepper & celery) chutney, sliced bananas & grated coconut on the side.
Poppadums can also be served as an accompaniment and if you’d like to try them prepared according to Haandi’s restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (known to be one of the very best of it’s kind !) then spread some of the sambals over the p0ppadums before serving & add a liberal sprinkling of fresh coriander over the top – delicious !
My Dad notes “I like my curry to be light in both texture & colour, which should be yellowish to complement the chicken. To me the flavour is determined by the curry powder & spices, whilst the hotness is determined by the fresh chillies. Both these can be regulated to personal taste. I like a strong coriander influence, without dominating the overall flavour which is a typical Durban Indian curry influence. Quantities of ingredients should be by choice, so you can adjust any of the ingredients to suit your own taste”.
(This curry is also lovely served the day after as the flavours develop & intensify overnight.)
