Ruby Chicken Curry
Don't be scared by the ingredients, it's easier than it looks. You can do it. I believe in you.
Per portion
Calories from protein 16%, carbs 28%, fat 56%. Estimated from the ingredients.
Roughly £3.40 a portion, counting only what it uses from each jar. Buying the spices from scratch costs a fair bit more the first time.
Plus marinating: at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Method
- 1
Blitz the marinade: 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tsp of the ginger, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp each of the chilli powder, cumin and garam masala, the lime juice, 1 tsp of the oil and the yoghurt. Mix it with the chicken in a non-metallic bowl (only cut the thighs up if you can't leave them overnight) and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- 2
Stir a pinch of salt and the remaining ½ tsp chilli powder into the passata.
- 3
Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan. Yes, it's a lot of oil, be brave. Add the bay leaf, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and let them crackle for a minute, stirring. Turn the heat right down, wait a few minutes, then add the remaining garlic and ginger and cook until golden. Don't burn it!
- 4
Add the passata and cook at a rapid simmer, stirring regularly, until reduced by half, around 30 minutes. Add some red food colouring if you like. Turn the grill up as far as it will go. A bigger batch takes longer to reduce: go by how it looks, not the clock.
- 5
Meanwhile, take the chicken out of the marinade, scrape off as much as you can and grill it hard for 8–10 minutes, turning, to get good colour on it; it finishes cooking in the sauce. If you've chopped it up already, use metal skewers (the grill should be hot enough to set fire to wooden ones).
- 6
Stir the ghee into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, the remaining ½ tsp each of garam masala and cumin, the sugar, honey, fenugreek and dill, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and give it 5 more minutes, until the chicken reaches 80–85°C in the thickest part. It's safe at 75°C but better a bit hotter. Serve with the rice, a naan or a frozen paratha.
Cook's notes
- Sizes. Vegetables, fruit and eggs are medium unless the recipe says otherwise. A tin is a standard 400g tin.
- Dairy. Salted or unsalted butter both work; with salted, go easy on any extra salt. Use full-fat soured cream, crème fraîche and yoghurt in anything hot, as low-fat versions split.
- Stock. A cube or pot made up as the packet says. Cubes are salty, so taste before adding more salt.
- Heat. Medium means a gentle sizzle, not spitting. High means the oil shimmers before the food goes in. A simmer is a few lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Leave the lid off unless the recipe says to cover.
- Pans. A small saucepan is about 16cm and a frying pan about 24cm. Sauces reduce faster in a wider pan, so go by how it looks rather than the clock.
- Doneness. Chicken and turkey should reach 75°C in the thickest part, pork 65 to 70°C, and beef steak 55°C for medium-rare. Rest steaks and chops for a few minutes before slicing.
- Finishing. Taste before serving. Most dishes want a pinch more salt, and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar lifts anything rich.
- Leftovers. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat until piping hot. Cooked rice keeps for 1 day and should only be reheated once.
solosupper.co.uk/recipes/ruby-chicken-curry/
