Cape Malay chicken curry with apricots and toasted almonds

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 250ml chicken stock
• 100g dried apricots, halved
• 1 tbsp apricot jam
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 50g flaked almonds
• Small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

To serve
• Steamed basmati rice
• Mango chutney, optional
• Plain yoghurt, optional

Method

1. Brown the chicken

Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large casserole or deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, then brown it in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning until coloured on all sides.

Lift the chicken onto a plate as each batch is ready. There is no need to cook it through at this stage – we are after colour and flavour rather than trying to finish the entire curry before it has properly begun.

2. Soften the onion

Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the sliced onion with a small pinch of salt and cook gently for 10–12 minutes until soft, golden and beginning to caramelise.

Take your time here. The sweetness of the onion is an important part of the finished curry, and pale, hurried onion will not have nearly as much to offer.

3. Add the aromatics

Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne if using and crushed cardamom pods.

Cook the spices for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until deeply fragrant. Keep the heat under control – toasted spices are useful; burnt ones tend to dominate proceedings rather less charmingly.

4. Build the sauce

Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, dried apricots and apricot jam.

Return the browned chicken to the pan along with any juices from the plate. Stir everything together and bring it to a gentle simmer.

5. Cook the curry

Partially cover the pan and cook over a low heat for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through and tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

If the sauce becomes too thick before the chicken is ready, add a small splash of water or stock. It should be rich and spoonable, not so stiff that the wooden spoon can stand up without assistance.

6. Toast the almonds

While the curry cooks, put the flaked almonds into a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Toast them for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until golden.

Tip them onto a plate as soon as they are ready. Almonds continue cooking rather efficiently in a hot pan, usually while your attention is elsewhere.

7. Balance the curry

Stir the lemon juice into the curry and taste the sauce. Add more salt or black pepper if needed.

The finished curry should be fragrant and gently spiced, with sweetness from the onion and apricots balanced by the tomatoes and lemon. It should not taste like a fruit pudding that has accidentally wandered into the main course.

8. Serve

Spoon the curry into warm bowls with steamed basmati rice. Scatter over the toasted almonds and fresh coriander, then serve with mango chutney or plain yoghurt alongside if you like.

A couple of helpful notes
- Chicken thighs remain tender during the slower cooking and are much more forgiving than breast meat.
- This is intended to be aromatic rather than fiercely hot, though the cayenne can be increased if you prefer a stronger chilli warmth.
- The curry can be made a day ahead and gently reheated. As with many spiced dishes, the flavours often settle together rather nicely overnight.