How to make Colm O'Gorman's Durban chicken curry

Butternut squash adds a lovely sweetness to the dish

Colm O'Gorman's Durban chicken curry

I had such a great reaction to my recipe for Chakalaka a few weeks back, that I decided to work on another Indian-inspired South African dish for this week’s column, a chicken curry from Durban.

Durban is one of the largest ethnically Indian populated cities outside of India, which unsurprisingly has heavily influenced the local cuisine. Durban curries do not use much butter or ghee, or any cream, nuts or yoghurt, and are generally quite spicy. Potatoes are always used, and some recipes include root vegetables such as turnip. I use butternut squash in my recipe. It adds a lovely sweetness to the curry that works perfectly with the chicken and the warming spices of the masala.

The key ingredient for this chicken curry is Durban Masala, the same spice blend that I use in my Chakalaka recipe. You will find the recipe to make your own Durban Masala on ieFood. Nothing beats the flavour of freshly roasted and ground spices, so the few minutes it takes to make your own spice blend is time very well spent. However, if you are a little time poor, you can substitute a medium/hot curry powder instead.

This chicken curry tastes best when freshly made. Serve it with boiled rice and a fresh chutney or relish. I love to serve this curry with a Malay style sambal; a relish made with fresh herbs, salad vegetables and fruit. To make the sambal, toast a few tablespoons of desiccated coconut in a dry pan until it is lightly browned. Wash and halve 250g of cherry tomatoes. Chop an apple, half a cucumber, and two firm bananas into small chunks. Wash and deseed a red pepper and cut that into similar sized pieces. Finely chop a small red onion. Wash and chop one small handful of coriander and another of basil.

Combine all the above in a bowl along with half a teaspoon of chilli flakes, a tablespoon each of honey and caster sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and 60ml of apple cider vinegar. This sambal is quick and easy to make, and absolutely delicious. It is a lovely fresh side to have with the chicken curry but do note that it does not store well. Make it fresh while the curry is cooking and eat it on the day you make it.

Durban Chicken Curry

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

I love to serve this curry with a Malay style sambal; a relish made with fresh herbs, salad vegetables and fruit.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion

• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

• 3 cloves garlic

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2-3 tsp Durban masala or medium/hot curry powder

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 cinnamon stick

• Handful curry leaves

• 1 kg chicken drumsticks

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tin cherry tomatoes

• 250ml chicken stock

• 500g potatoes

• 1 medium sized butternut squash

• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Large handful fresh coriander

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and grate the garlic and the ginger.

2. Heat the olive oil over a high heat in a casserole dish. When the oil starts to shimmer, reduce the heat to medium and add the Durban masala, ground coriander, cumin, fennel seeds and the cinnamon stick. Stir and cook the spices for one to two minutes until they are fragrant. Add the chopped onion, the grated garlic and ginger and cook for another three to four minutes until the onions have softened.

3. Stir in the curry leaves and the tomato paste and then add the chicken drumsticks. Stir to coat the chicken in the spices. Cook for a few minutes to sear the meat a little.

4. Pour in the tin of cherry tomatoes and the chicken stock. Stir well and bring the pot to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and pop on the casserole lid. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5. While the pot is simmering away, peel and cut the potatoes into roughly five-centimetre sized chunks. Peel the butternut squash and cut away the top and bottom. Cut the squash lengthways and remove the seeds and any pith. Cut it into similar sized chunks.

6. When the chicken has been simmering for 15 minutes, add the chopped potatoes and squash. Season with one teaspoon of flaky sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. Stir, ensuring that the vegetables are covered in the curry sauce. If required, you can add a little more chicken stock. Bring the pot back to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes will do it.

7. Check the pot after 15 minutes, and if the potatoes are soft and beginning to break down, they are done. The potatoes will thicken the sauce, but if it seems a little thin at this stage, combine a teaspoon of cornflour with just a splash of water and stir it into the curry. Let the cornflour cook in for about five minutes, stirring it occasionally. This will thicken the sauce and cook out the taste of the cornflour.

8. Finally, stir in a generous handful of freshly chopped coriander. Taste, adding more seasoning if required, and then serve with some more freshly chopped coriander scattered over the curry.