Tag: curry

curry chicken, South African style

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curry chicken South African style

My sisters and I got used to hearing this phrase from our mom, “today I just want a nice pot of chicken curry with a coca-cola” except she would say this every few days like it was the first time each time…love you, Mom! Talk about comfort food, there is just something so comforting about the aromas of blended spices that form curry especially after a long, hard day. I became so used to it that now the fragrance gives me a feeling of being at home, feeling relaxed and content.

I used to have a few blends of curry from South Africa but I ran out (crying emoji). I have been relegated to using what’s available at our supermarket and have been pleasantly surprised at the quality and selection. It should be noted that curry is a blend of various spices which can be sold as a blend or you can make your own with the components that make up a basic curry, whether that be yellow, red, green, etc. My mom always uses a yellow blend plus a little bit of red called “mother-in-law masala” which is very spicy, traditionally used to limit visits from the mother in law. Thankfully I don’t have to use it for that reason. Shout out to my mother-in-love!

Anyway, this recipe uses a blend of spices but yellow curry can be used by itself if you don’t have a red curry on hand. The flavors are enhanced with using dark meat chicken with the bone-in as they hold the flavors better and provide a juicier bite. This recipe also comes together very quickly which makes it even more enjoyable. It is best paired with basmati or jasmine rice and yes, a cola-cola!

my favorite mortar and pestle from South Africa

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs cut in half, trimmed of fat

3 garlic cloves

1 “thumb” of fresh ginger (about 2 tbsp)

2 tbsp coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp yellow curry powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

1-2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

1 russet potato, chopped to 1″ pieces

1 cup water

1 tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Grind together the ginger and garlic using a mortar and pestle, or mince both the ginger and garlic together.
  2. Sauté onions in oil in a large pot on medium high heat until translucent, then stir in ginger, garlic and spices until fragrant.
  3. Add chicken to the pot and stir until coated with the seasonings for about 2-3 min then add salt, pepper.
  4. Pour in the water to deglaze the pan, scraping the bits on the bottom. Add in cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
  5. Turn the heat to medium low and cover for about 15 minutes, stopping to stir about every 5 minutes.
  6. Add in the diced potato and close the lid for another 10 minutes for the potato to soften.
  7. When the potato is almost done, add in the peas and carrots. After 2 minutes they should have softened and the curry is complete.
  8. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick before serving. Top with chopped cilantro.

creamy egg curry

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creamy egg curry

My mom made this for my husband and I when we had dinner at my parents’ house before kids long, long ago. I don’t even remember what life was like back in those days. Anyway, my husband raved about it and my mom’s response, “Oh you like that? It’s just what we call poor man’s meal”. She said in South Africa they would often make it for a quick dinner or when there was no meat in the house. It’s basically a bed of curry flavored tomato sauce where nestled eggs provide protein for the dish. Since then he’s been asking me to make it and I finally did about a year ago. Given this current quarantine situation, I thought this might be a great time to add this to the rotation.

I have to admit though, this version is not the traditional South African one I was taught. It incorporates coconut milk (I’m obsessed) and the original South African version has no cream component but rather a vinegar based sauce with brown sugar. Tikka masala is one of my favorite dishes and this is basically a simplified version of it, so it is more Indian inspired than South African. But it can certainly be made either way, depending on your cooking style.

I should also mention that a comforting starch of some sort is absolutely necessary. I make this with traditional South African fat cakes, pictured below (recipe coming soon!) to soak up all that delicious curry from the bowl. I assume rice or potatoes would do but would encourage bread product such as naan or fried dumplings. You’ll be happy you did.

creamy egg curry with South African fat cakes

Ingredients

6 eggs

olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tbsp garam masala

1 and 1/2 cup crushed or grated tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Start boiling the eggs by placing them in medium saucepan on medium high heat. Once it starts boiling, turn off after 5 minutes of boiling however keep pot on the burner to finish cooking. If you like your eggs soft boiled, drain water and replace with ice water.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a pan on medium high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add onions and sauté until translucent.
  3. Add garlic and ginger, along with masala. Stir together about a minute until fragrant.
  4. Add in tomatoes and 1/2 cup water and turn heat to medium. Allow it to simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Turn the heat to low and stir in coconut milk.
  7. Peel the shells from the eggs and add into the curry sauce. Allow the eggs to simmer on low in the sauce for about another 10 minutes to give the eggs some flavor.