If you like South African style curry this dish is insane. To say that this might be the best chicken curry I have ever made is no understatement.
And it just happened by chance. I was craving a curry. Not the kind you get in America. In the US curry is a lot milder and has a ton of cream, butter, and coconut milk. It’s more Thai than Indian …
I wanted one of the curries that you get in Durban. The kind that makes you break out into a sweat. Bright red, hot and spicy, and layered with a myriad of spices and flavor profiles.
And this dish was on point. I think this is going to be a regular in our house.
Yebo (zulu for yes)
xxx Chef MM
Durban Chicken Curry
Ingredients
FOR THE SPICE RUB
- 2 TBS hot / 4 TBS mild curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
FOR THE CURRY
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs- skin on
- Olive oil
- 2 large onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 28 oz /800 g can tinned tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 TBS apricot jam
Instructions
In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the rub together. Sprinkle the rub on the chicken thighs and use your fingers to massage and coat the chicken evenly on all sides.
Heat 2 TBS of oil in a large skillet or heavy pot over medium/high heat. Add the chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd them. Sear the thighs on both sides (3-4 minutes) until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
Slice the onions into 1/4 inch slices and chop the garlic cloves.
In the same pot add the sliced onions and garlic and cook on medium heat until golden and caramelized (6-8 mins).
In a bowl combine the tinned tomatoes, water, vinegar, bay leaves and apricot jam.
Place the chicken back in the skillet on top of the onions. Pour over the tomato mixture. Simmer uncovered for 80 minutes.
Serve with rice and sambals (tomato-cucumber salad and sliced bananas).
SERVES 4
Notes
You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but you might need to increase the cooking time and add some water to keep the chicken moist.
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