There is a bit of a kick off this but it still seems quite light and fresh with delicious flavours. No wine suggestion as we don’t really think wine goes with this! We ordered some naan bread from the takeaway to serve.
Afghani Chicken Curry – serves 4
- 600g skinless chicken thighs
- 5 tbsp ghee or oil
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1cm cinnamon stick
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- ¼ green pepper, deseeded and chopped into 5mm dice
- 1 tomato, deseeded and finely diced
- Naan bread (to serve)
FOR THE SPICE PASTE:
- 30g coriander
- 130g full-fat natural yoghurt
- 3 green finger chillies
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2cm piece of ginger
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 40g blanched almonds
Season the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of salt and set aside in a bowl.
Put all of the ingredients for the spice paste into a blender with 125ml of water and blend until smooth. Pour over the chicken, then leave in the fridge for up to a day.
Put a heavy-based casserole over a medium-high heat and add the ghee or oil. When hot, add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick and sizzle for 30 seconds before adding the onions and green pepper. Fry for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
Add the chicken and spice paste to the casserole along with 250ml of water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato and cook for another 15 minutes. The sauce should be quite thick and cling to the chicken, if it’s more liquid than this, leave the lid off to reduce it.
Check for seasoning and serve with naan bread.
(Original recipe from Misarana by Eddie Scott, Quarto, 2024.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 