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Cape Malay chicken curry is garnished with parsley in a blue pot with a lid

Cape Malay Chicken Curry

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The addition of canned tomatoes bring a nice tang to this unique Cape Malay Chicken Curry recipe. This is a mildly spicy curry for everyone.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Diet Low Lactose
Keyword Cape Malay, Cape Malay chicken curry, cardamom pods, chicken, chicken curry, coriander seed, cumin, curry, fennel seed, garam masala, South Africa, tumeric
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 469
Author Holly Ford

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp ginger finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chili flakes or fresh hot peppers to taste
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp fennel ground, or 4 tsp whole fennel seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2-1 tsp black pepper coarsely ground
  • 15 cardamom pods whole pods
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 14 oz can crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 lb chicken pieces
  • 2 tsp garlic finely chopped
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 -3 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Put the 7 spices -- from the coriander seeds down to the garam masala -- in a mortar and pestle. Pound them together so the cardamom pods burst and the whole thing becomes a mess of spices. Discard the skin of cardamom pods. Continue to pound the spices until they become like a powder.
  • Heat the oil in a pot, add the onion and ginger over fairly high heat, and stir occasionally for a few minutes. Add the chili flakes and spices and stir for 2 minutes. You might need to add more oil (Spices slurp up oil as they fry)
  • Add the can of crushed tomatoes and stir. Cook until everything bubbles up together.
  • Add the chicken pieces, and stir to coat well, keeping heat high until everything is bubbling away. Turn the heat down, put on a lid, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, sugar, lemon juice and salt to the curry. Cover with lid but leave a small opening for a steam to escape; simmer for 15 minutes or longer. Taste the sauce, and adjust seasoning according to your taste.
  • Near the end of cooking, skim off extra oil/fat with a spoon, as it collects in corners of the pot, if needed. Serve the curry warm with rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 235mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 688IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 5mg