To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art … Check This Amazing Recipe: Almond chicken curry

How to Make Almond chicken curry

Preparation time:

less than 30 mins

Cooking time:

30 mins to 1 hour

Serves:

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the almond chicken curry

• 12 fresh curry leaves
• 2 fresh kaffir lime leaves
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 star anise
• ½ cinnamon
• 3 cardamom
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• 1 tsp dried chilli
• 2 tsp amchoor
• 15g/½oz fresh root ginger
• 3 garlic
• 60g/2¼oz ground almonds
• 1 tbsp ghee (or coconut oil
• 200g/7oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 400ml/7fl oz boiling water
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 250g/9oz ripe tomatoes
• 160g/5¾oz spinach
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the roasted masala chickpeas with green bean sambol

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas
• 30g/1oz cashew
• 60g/2¼oz fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 160g/5¾oz green beans
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch dried chilli
• 200g/7oz cherry tomatoes
• 60g/2¼oz freshly grated coconut (or dry desiccated coconut
• 1 lime
• 1 banana shallot
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

• 15g/½oz fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds

Method

1. To make the almond chicken curry, put the curry leaves, lime leaves, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, fenugreek, dried chilli flakes, amchur, ginger, garlic and almonds into a lidded sauce pan and dry-fry over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Add the ghee or coconut oil and fry for another 1–2 minutes. Add the chicken, stir to coat in the spices, and fry for 2 minutes.

2. Add the boiling water, tomato purée and ripe tomatoes, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the tomatoes have broken down to a thick sauce.

3. Meanwhile, to make the roasted masala chickpeas with green bean sambol, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

4. Toss the chickpeas, cashews, parsley stalks and green beans in the coconut oil and spices in a roasting tray. Reserve the chopped parsley. Season the chickpeas well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until the beans are tender and the chickpeas golden-brown.

5. Remove from the oven and toss the roasted chickpeas with the chopped parsley, tomatoes, coconut, lime zest and juice and shallot. Season again and keep warm until ready to serve.

6. To finish the almond chicken curry, add the spinach for the last few minutes of cooking, until wilted.

7. Scatter the almond chicken curry with coriander and flaked almonds and serve alongside the roasted masala chickpeas.