Cape Malay chicken curry
Cape Malay chicken curry: mild, sweet and fragrant with apricots
In Cape Town's Bo-Kaap, the brightly painted quarter under Signal Hill, Cape Malay families cook this curry for Sunday lunch and for Eid. It is gentler than an Indian curry: fragrant with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and fennel, sweetened with dried apricots and a spoon of apricot chutney, and soured with a splash of vinegar and tomato. Potatoes simmer in the sauce with the chicken. Serve it with yellow rice (geelrys), sambals and chutney. A common mistake is adding the potatoes too late, so they stay hard in a finished curry; they go in with the chicken. Chef's tip: let the whole spices sizzle in the oil until the cinnamon unfurls before adding the onion, which builds the sweet perfume of the dish.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the curry
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cardamom pods and 3 whole cloves and let them sizzle for 1 minute until fragrant.
1 minStep 2: Add 2 onions and cook for 10 minutes until soft and golden.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 4 cloves garlic, ⅔ oz fresh ginger, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp mild curry powder or Cape Malay masala, 1 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp fennel seeds. Cook for 1 minute, adding a splash of water if the spices stick.
1 minStep 4: Add 2 ¼ lb boneless chicken thighs and turn it in the spices for 3–4 minutes until coated and sealed.
4 minStep 5: Add 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 ⅛ lb waxy potatoes, 2 ⅞ oz dried apricots, 2 tbsp apricot or mango chutney, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 ½ tsp salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
30 minStep 6: Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce thickens. The thickest piece of chicken must reach 165°F, with clear juices and no pink.
5 minStep 7: Taste: it should be mild, sweet and lightly tangy; add more chutney or vinegar to balance. Scatter over ½ oz fresh coriander and serve with yellow rice. Cool leftovers within 2 hours and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cape Malay chicken curry take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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