Classic Chicken Curry

I cooked many curries at University, but generally either cooked Thai style or just made up a random recipe. As I have some Indian colleagues at work, I asked them for a curry recipe, and got what is a basic Indian chicken curry recipe, but very good all the same. Rather than list the ingredients, I'll just give the method. First, chop a large onion, some garlic, ginger and green chillies. Fry the onion in oil, adding salt (this speeds up the browning process) and then add the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Add some ground pepper at this point too, and throw in a cinnamon stick. Now chop some chicken breasts, and add them to the pan. Then add a couple of heaped tea spoons of yellow powder (ground turmeric), red powder (chilli powder) and cumin. Also add some coriander if you like. Add a couple of cups of water, then bring to the boil, and simmer. That is it really. Add more chilli if you like it hotter. I like to add a couple of teaspoons of garam masala too, just for some more flavour. Serve with plain boiled basmati rice. I have used the same recipe to make Bombay potatoes (aloo gobi) and have also made a tasty meal using both chicken and potatoes in the curry. If you add plenty of potatoes you do not need to cook rice with it, which saves some time. The two photos of curry here have added tomato sauce, which one of my colleagues recommended. Personally I prefer them without the tomato sauce though, but if you like a more tomatoey curry, then added some puréed sauce at the same time as you add the chicken. Do not use lumpy, chopped tomatoes, make sure the sauce is smooth, i.e. a Passata sauce.

My favourite Thai Chicken Green Curry

This recipe is from a small book called Hot and Spicy Floyd (Penguin 60s), by Keith Floyd. It was part of the Penguin 60s collection, called that because they were only 60p each. It has some of my favourite curry recipes in it. All easy to make. The book was a gift from my old pal Woody on my 22nd birthday. For 4 people: 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 600g of boneless chicken breasts, sliced thin 450ml thick coconut milk 2 medium green chilli peppers, seeded and chopped (leave the seeds in if you like it spicier) 2 tablespoons of green curry paste 2 blade of lemon grass, bruised and finely chopped 2 tablespoons corainder leaves, chopped (I first cooked this with coriander powder - fresh coriander really is essential, don't bother with powder) 1 tablespoon basil leaves chopped 1 tablespoon of fish sauce salt and freshly ground black pepper To make it, just cook the chicken in a pan for a few minutes (with the oil) until sealed. That means white, Chuck in most of the cocobut milk and all the chilles, green curry paste and lemon grass. Bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Add the coriander, basil (you can use mint instead too) and fish sauce. Stir in the remaining coconut mil and bubble for about 5 minutes. Taste it, add salt and pepper if required. Serve it up with plain bolied rice and garnish with corainder leaves. Easy and delicious. To make spicier add more chillies.