Balti Chicken Curry

I adapted this from one of Jamie Oliver's recipies, it suits my family because one does not eat coriander, another not so hot on the chilli.  This will serve 4 very large servings, if you want to increase it to 6 just add some sliced carrots and potatoes about 1/2 way through the cooking time.  This will extend the dish perfectly.

You can use chicken thighs (as I do) or chicken drumsticks, or a whole chicken cut up, it is quite versatile really.  It is important to use a yellow capsicum, it seems to have the right amount of acidity for the recipie.  If you don't have any fresh tomatoes handy you can easily leave it out, and if you dont have any tomatoe puree, you can use canned tomatoes, but make sure you drain the juice off.  

If you like fresh coriander, add about 1/2 a bunch to the curry paste and blend with the other ingredients.  As always, adjust the chilli, garlic and ginger to your taste.  If found it did not need any salt and pepper, but taste and adjust accordingly.

If you want a good curry one of the secrets is to cook the curry paste really well, you want the  onions and pepper to fry with the paste until the oil splits from it if possible.

 

Balti Chicken Curry

Rating: easy

Ingredients

Paste:
1 onion, cut into large pieces
4  small cloves of garlic,
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger,

1 cube chicken stock,
1 red chillie,
1 teaspoon runny honey,
1 level teaspoon ground tumeric,
2 teaspoons curry powder.

Curry
6 boned chicken thighs, cut in half.
olive oil,
1 onion, cut into large pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into large pieces
 500ml water
1 x 400 g tin of chickpeas,
1 teaspoon tomato purée,
1-2 fresh tomatoes chopped.


Serving:
 basmati rice and 1 lemon, cut into wedges, yoghurt.

Method

Make Paste first.
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. 

Brown the chicken thighs well in the olive oil over a medium heat.
Remove from pan
Add the onion and pepper and cook to blister the pepper's skin and soften the onion
Add the paste to the pan and cook at least 5 minutes - or until the paste splits.
Pour in water.
Add drained chickpeas, and tomatoe puree.
Add chopped tomatoes.
Add the chicken back into the curry.
Simmer for 45 minutes, or until chicken is very tender.

Dollup some yoghurt on the top when cooked.
Sprinkle with chopped coriander if desired.
Serve with boiled basmati rice and fresh lemon wedges.