Bengali-style chicken curry recipe
This lower-fat take on Bengali curry also includes extra green peppers to help you get your 5 A Day. The fiery spices introduce so much flavour that you're also less likely to add salt.
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
Marinade
- 500g skinless chicken pieces, on the bone
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
- 1 small onion, pureéd
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, crushed
- half a teaspoon of ground garam masala
Curry sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cloves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- half a teaspoon of red chilli powder (optional)
- quarter teaspoon of turmeric
- 2 teaspoons mild paprika powder
- 200ml (about a mugful) hot water
- 2 green bell peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
To serve
- 300g basmati rice (cooked according to packet instructions)
Method
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Mix the chicken with all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
Information:Removing the skin from chicken helps you cut down on saturated fat.
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Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and allow to sizzle for a minute, until fragrant.
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Add the onions and cumin seeds, and stir-fry over a high heat for about 10 minutes.
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Mix in the chilli powder, turmeric, paprika and chicken. Cook on a high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Information:Use more red chilli powder and less paprika if you like your curry hot!
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Add the hot water, then lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
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Add the green peppers, cover and cook for a further 5 or 10 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the chicken juices run clear. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then serve with a portion of rice.
Information:You can save time with this recipe by asking your butcher to cut the chicken into smaller pieces – they will cook in 20 to 25 minutes.
