South Asian Chicken Curry

By James Bacon

This is a real treat, and a different take on your usual chicken curry. This dish is inspired by the gentle aromas of South East Asia, with flavours of lemongrass, star anise and coconut - a real crowd pleaser! Simple to make and super tasty - give this one a go!

Kitchen tools needed: Cole and Mason Herb Chopper, Large casserole Pan, Food processor / stick blender (optional)

Prep: 15-20 min

Cook: 1-1.5hrs

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1kg of chicken thighs (portioned as halves)
• 3 king Edward Potatoes (1 inch cubes)
• 3 medium banana shallots
• 4 cloves of garlic (grated or minced)
• 1 large thumb of Ginger (grated/minced) extra for garnish
• 2 Lemongrass stalks chopped finely
• 2 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks (roughly 3 inches long)
• 8 cloves
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
• 5 Tbsp mild curry powder
• 4tbsp Fish Sauce ( more to season)
• 50g Palm Sugar (light brown Sugar)
• Coconut cream 200g
• 500ml water
• Coriander stalks (reserve leaves for garnish)
• Juice of 1.5 limes
• Salt and Pepper

Garnish

• Coriander
• Red Chilli
• Fresh Ginger
• Spring Onions
• Lime
• Sauerkraut (Optional)

Method:

1. Add a good glue of vegetable oil to a deep pan. Fry the whole spices (star anise, cinnamon, clove, & peppercorns) until fragrant. Add the shallots & lemongrass , cook until very soft and sticky.
2. Next add the ginger and garlic, cook for further 4 mins. Add the red Thai paste and curry powder, cook out for a further 2-3 mins.
3. Add water to deglaze the pan then remove whole spices (just the cinnamon and star anise), set aside. Blend the remaining mixture in the pan with a stick blender (or transfer to a blender) to a smooth consistency. (the mix should now look like a creamy soup).
4. Bring to the boil and add the chicken and potatoes to the curry mixture. Cook on a high heat for 10 mins or until the chicken appears white in colour (no pink chicken visible).
5. Reduce temperature to a simmer, add sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and cook for a further 40 mins.
6. Check the cooking of the chicken and potatoes - the chicken should be soft and white throughout, and the potatoes should slide from a knife. Add the coconut cream & season. Taste for salty, sweet, spicy and sour. Use sugar for sweet, fish sauce for salty, and lime for sour. The spice will come from the mix made earlier!
7. To intensify the flavour, add a good blast of salt and black pepper from the Cole & Mason mills.
8. Serve the curry piping hot in deep / large bowls and garnish with fresh herbs, fresh ginger and chilli. Great with a side or rice, or your favourite warm crusty bread!

Tips:

I like to serve this dish with Sauerkraut to add and element of freshness and zing! The consistency is thinner than a traditional Indian style curry, sometimes compared to a creamy soup texture.

Keep the method simple and on point, in just a few steps.

This is where you can personalise the dish with a little secret at the end which makes all the difference.