I have never eaten a proper curry. I don’t go out to eat much here in Norway, and the few times I do it’s rarely Indian restaurants that seem to attract me (there aren’t that many to choose between either…) The solution to this was, of course, to just make curry myself. I’ve started out a little careful as the recipe is probably more British-Indian than Indian.

The recipe is from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food and I love how easy it is to reduce the amount of everything spicy and make this a lovely dish for those of us with a sensitive palate. The dish is easily made and doesn’t take too long. Served with a properly sized yoghurt topping, it has become one of Son’s favourite dishes.

You first need to make a paste:

  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds

(These should be toasted slightly in the pan before mashed up with the rest of the ingredients)

  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • a bit of fresh ginger
  • 1tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1,5 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 fresh red chillies
  • a small bunch of fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds

Mix all ingredients together until you have a smooth paste.

(The paste can be swapped with a ready-made tikka masala curry paste found in the supermarket)

  • 4 chicken filets
  • 2 onions
  • 1 fresh red chilli
  • a bit of fresh ginger
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
  • 1 tin of coconut milk (400ml)

Use a sauté-pan and melt a knob of butter with a bit of vegetable oil. Add chopped onions, chilli, ginger, and coriander stalks and cook for ten minutes. Meanwhile dice the chicken filets before you add these with the paste. Stir well to coat everything with the paste. Add a bit of salt and pepper, and then the tins of coconut milk and tomatoes. Fill one of the tins with water and add to the mix. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and let it all simmer under a lid for about 20 mins.

Serve with rice, yoghurt, flaked almonds, and lemon wedges.