Anish’s Indian Chicken Curry with Tomatoes

A family recipe from a man I once worked with called Anish - a chicken curry full of depth. This dish hits you first with a sweet cinnamon aroma, then as you taste the chicken, the other spices start coming forward. The chilli gives a final lingering aftertaste. Is a beautiful curry. Make it as hot as you like with more or little chilli.

"Should end up looking browny-red rather than redish - means too many tomatoes and perhaps need more spices. For a creamy curry, at the end stir in cream on a low heat and add almonds"– Anish.

Pictured: Anish’s Indian Chicken Curry

3 or 4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp ginger
7 - 8 cloves
2 bay leaves
2 fresh chillies
5 cardamom pods
Salt and pepper
4 - 5 onions
3 potatoes, halved or in thirds if large (optional)
1 400g can of tomatoes, or 3 - 4 fresh tomatoes
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground coriander
Extra chillies (optional)
Extra 2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1kg Chicken – thighs, breast or legs
Extra salt and pepper
1 green capsicum, sliced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced thickly
1 tbsp lime juice

Fry garlic, ginger, cloves, bay leaves, chillies, cardamom pods, pepper, and salt, in a little oil or ghee for a few minutes til fragrant.
Add onion - slowly cook onions until translucent - the onions make the base of the dish. It’s important to cook slowly.
Add potatoes if using.
Add tomatoes, turmeric, garam masala, coriander (or crushed coriander leaves), bay leaves, cinnamon, plus extra chillies if using.
Add chicken (the chicken cooks in the gravy and spices), simmer.
Keep adding pepper and salt.

Add green pepper and mushrooms and tbsp of lime juice.

Leave for about 40 minutes, check seasoning.

Garnish with coriander leaves, serve with basmati rice.

Serves 4

TasteTip - Clarified butter/Ghee - Commonly used in Indian cooking; this is butter that has had the water, milk solids and salt removed. Butter browns and burns at lower temperatures than many other fats do, but by clarifying it you leave pure butter fat which is more stable and can be cooked at a higher temperature.
You can make it at home - melt ½ cup butter in heatproof bowl, or double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and skim off foam, then ladle clear butter into a bowl, taking care not to ladle any of the milk solids at the bottom. Clarified butter also stores better than ordinary butter, for about two months in the fridge.