Chicken Curry Journey- Spice Trails from Asia to Nerja
We first learned how to cook curry years ago in Asia, thanks to our Indian friends. What struck me was how many different versions there are — from north to south, every region has its own way, and then of course the anglicised versions we know from back home. Some are more dry, some rich and creamy, others fiery and sharp, some full of spice layers, others beautifully simple.
This recipe is one of the simplest — but don’t let that fool you. It’s basic, yes, but incredibly tasty. You can make it mild, or load it with our homemade chilli sauce ( see chilli recipe) and turn up the heat. Better even, make a milder version and let people add the extra chilli after. You can keep it classic with chicken, or make it vegan by swapping in chickpeas, lentils, or vegetables ( we like the chickpea and cauliflower version). That’s the beauty of curry — it adapts to you.
Simple Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4):
500 g chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces (or chickpeas/veg for vegan)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2–3 fresh chillies or our homemade chilli sauce (adjust to taste)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
2–3 fresh tomatoes (or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes)
Add vegetables such as 1/2 red pepper chopped to smaller pieces
100 ml coconut milk or plain yogurt (adjust to thickness that you like)
2–3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons of curry powder optional ( we like a very strong curry taste)
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh coriander or parsley to garnish
Instructions:
Warm oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and stir for 1 minute.
Add onions until golden, garlic, ginger, and your chopped chillies — breathe in that fragrance.
Stir in the spices and cook gently for a minute to release their flavour.
Add the chicken (or chickpeas) and cook until lightly browned.
Mix in the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.( Chickpeas until they are crunchy)
Stir in coconut milk (or yogurt) and let it bubble gently for 5 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce rich. If cauliflower, add it now.
Taste, season, sprinkle with fresh coriander or parsley, and serve with rice or naan.
Tip: A half spoonful of homemade chilli sauce, works beautifully instead of fresh chillies.
Notes:
Marinate the chicken the night before with half of the spices.
You can use the same spices to make a curry paste and freeze it ahead of time — perfect for quick midweek cooking. Just add oil to make it creamy.
The same spice mix also works wonderfully as a filling for homemade samosas or patties, combined with mint sauce dip and mango chutney.
