Big Batch: Cheats Chicken Curry

We would eat curry in our house at least once a week. I swear everyone does a little happy dance if I even mention my cheats chicken curry for dinner.

I love curry. I mean, LOVE curry. However, sometimes I don’t want to fry off fifteen spices, make my own ghee, or marinate the meat overnight ….. I want curry now. I blame the Irishman. Two years of date nights at our local curry house in London made me a complete addict.

My big batch recipes generally feed 6-8 servings. The idea is that one batch will feed 3-4 people 2 nights dinner making them great for time-poor people, batch cooks, or like me, cooking for shift workers.

Now, this is not a sponsored post. Just showing a little love for a great, locally-made product. Renee from Burtons Lane makes the best, I repeat the BEST, family-friendly curry paste in Millthorpe, NSW. It’s easy to use, has no heat whatsoever (so you can serve it to any age), and has so many uses. It makes a mean curried rice salad! You can check out Burton’s Lane recipes here for a bit more inspiration. This recipe is a delicious, easy chicken curry that the whole family can enjoy. If you are cooking for someone who isn’t a fan of chili, just omit the chili powder. I like to add a bit of spice, however, I get that not everyone is like that!

I love a good story…

Renee’s family curry paste recipe has been handed down like a beautiful family heirloom from her great-grandparents.

“Life was prosperous for them in India until the great depression hit, then they were forced to walk away from their coffee plantation. No longer able to afford to feed & educate their five children — four of whom had to be sent to an orphanage — they slowly built up a new income delivering home-cooked meals by bicycle. They were soon being asked to make their curry paste and other condiments available to other families, and the end result was a large pickle factory in Bangalore bearing their name and which is still in operation today (although no longer owned by the family). Their success enabled them to bring all their children home” – Renee

What you need to get started

• Burtons Lane curry paste – I’ve tried so many curry pastes in this recipe. However, my family swears this one makes the best curry for the whole family. However, feel free to improvise with your favorite curry paste!
  
  

• Chicken thigh fillets – roughly cut each fillet into 6 -8 pieces. 
  
  

• Pantry staples – canned tomatoes, coconut milk, olive oil
  
  

• Vegetables – carrot, cauliflower, frozen peas, brown onion, garlic, ginger
  
  

• Chili powder (optional)

How to cook cheats chicken curry

1. Preheat oven to 150°c
   
   
   
2. In a cast iron pot, saute the onion with the olive oil on low heat until translucent.
   
   
   
3. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili powder. Stir to combine with onion for 30 seconds. Add curry paste and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
   
   
   
4. Now add the chicken pieces. Stir to combine and coat the chicken with all the ingredients. Cook for 1 minute. (We are not cooking the chicken thighs completely, but aiming to gently seal them and poach the chicken in the liquid)
   
   
   
5. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk giving a good stir to the curry sauce and incorporating the liquid into the paste. Add the vegetables, again, stirring to combine.
   
   
   
6. Pop on the lid, and put the pot into the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and return the pot to the stovetop.
   
   
   
7. Add the peas and simmer with the lid off for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
   
   
   
8. Serve with steamed rice, naan bread, and pappadams

Equipment

As I’m slow cooking this curry, I use a 24cm French oven. When cooking in enameled cast iron, be sure to heat the pot up on low heat as opposed to blasting it with high heat. Not only will you get a better result, but you’ll also save your pot from damage (like chipping and cracking) that is caused when enamel cast iron is heated on a high heat. 

You will also need a cook’s knife, chopping board, ginger grater, garlic press, and a stirring spoon.

Storage

After cooling, store in an airtight container for up to three days. To reheat, pop everything back into the pot and warm on low heat until hot.

How to rehash for a second night’s dinner

I’m a huge fan of cooking one meal and re-hashing it into another night’s dinner. I could probably think of half a dozen ways to serve up a good curry, and I’m sure the Irishman would add curry and chips to that list (I don’t get it, but apparently it’s an Irish thing), but my favorite way is to add some rice to the leftover curry and make wraps out of warm tortillas. Add some English spinach leaves, a little cheese, mango chutney, and a smear of sour cream, and roll into a wrap. For a side, I love to bake some homemade sweet potato chips and add a salad.

Looking for more slow-cooked dinners? Try these…

• Slow-cooked beef and red wine ragu
• Slow-cooked beef stroganoff
• Persian lentil and sweet potato soup
• An Irishman’s Wife’s Irish Stew

x

Print