Summer Chicken Curry

Why not ditch the takeaway this weekend and get your friends round for a homemade curry and a couple of ice cold beverages?

I love this recipe, it’s fresh, tasty and packed full of goodies you can grow in the garden! Loosely based on a Rogan Josh, this curry is lighter than a rich and creamy sauce such as a Tikka Masala. Making it perfect for a summer evening in the garden.

I like to make this curry when having friends round as it can be made from scratch in just over an hour (less if you use ready-made paste). We’ve not been able to entertain as much as I like just recently with the house being turned upside down. Gary (The husband) has to remind me that people do not want to eat in a building site covered in brick and plaster dust no matter how delicious the food is!

Curry Paste

2 fat cloves of garlic peeled
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger peeled
1 Red bell pepper deseeded and cut into quarters
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp Smoked paprika
2 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ground coriander
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 Small bunch fresh coriander
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
1 Fresh red chilli deseeded
2 tbsp Tomato purée
2 tbsp Ground nut oil
1 tsp Olive oil

Method:

Step one: Heat the oven to 220 C. Cover the red bell peppers in the olive oil and place skin-side up on a baking try lined with baking parchment. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Step two: whilst the peppers are cooking toss the paprika, smoked paprika, garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander, and ground cumin in a frying pan. Dry roast the spices over a medium heat, stirring frequently to stop the spices from burning. Once the spices are smelling toasty and fragrant pour them into a food processor.

Step three: Remove the pepper from the oven when their skins are crispy and charred. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before easily removing and discarding the skin. Put the peppers and the remaining ingredients into the food processor with the toasted spices and blitz until you have a smooth paste.

This will make enough paste for the curry and will take 30-40 minutes to prepare and make. The paste will keep in the fridge for a few days so you could make it in advance.

Summer Chicken Curry:

500g Chicken breast
500g Sweet potato peeled and cut into bit size pieces
1 Red bell pepper
1 Large red onion peeled and sliced
2 Large tomatoes roughly chopped
150g Spinach
1 tbsp Ground nut oil
3 tbsp Curry paste (you can use ready-made Rogan Josh paste)
100ml Boiling water
Small bunch to coriander chopped to serve

Method:

Step one: Boil the sweet potatoes for 5 minutes, they should be just cooked. Drain, and leave to one side. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken, onions, and Red bell pepper for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

Step three: Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and cook for another minute.
Step four: Pour in the boiling water, mix well, then simmer for 5 minutes . Add the spinach, and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Fold in the potatoes and heat through. Serve with the chopped coriander, along with your favourite rice and naan bread.

Serves 4 people.
The curry takes 30-40 minutes to make including prep time.

If you’d prefer to make a vegetable curry you could swap the chicken for chickpeas.

Let me know if you enjoyed the curry by adding a comment!