Eunice Power: An aromatic zinger of a curry with yummy accompaniments

Whenever I make a curry, I swap out white rice for brown I love the nuttiness it brings.

Jillian Bolger: Chicken, mango and coconut curry served with coriander and tomato chutneys. Picture: Chani Anderson

Last weekend I had some new dinner guests — a group of Pilates queens who’d all lived in Bahrain with my friend Nicola. They were in Dungarvan on a Pilates training course, and not knowing their tastes, though guessing they were the healthy sort, I wanted to cook something tasty and fresh rather than heavy.

I settled on a chicken curry — a Diana Henry recipe I’ve been making for years, and one I’m delighted to share with you below. What I love about it is how aromatic and tasty it is, with fresh mango giving it a gorgeous zing and lift, without any real heat. I served this along with a new find — McLaughlin’s ginger beer, which I picked up in Cass & Co here in Dungarvan. It’s produced in Cappoquin, Co Waterford, and is a Blas na hÉireann award winner, in my opinion it’s an outstanding product , great flavour and a great low/no alcohol alternative.

When you’re buying rice, quality really does make a difference, so it’s worth seeking out a good brand.

Green Saffron’s jasmine rice is a particular favourite. It is a bit pricier, but worth every cent.

For dessert, in complete contrast to the curry I made an apple crumble, loaded with nuts, porridge oats and brown sugar, so it felt properly wholesome. The apples came from the garden – incidentally my tree produces very few apples this year – something must have gone awry last Spring.

Coconut Chicken with Mango

recipe by:Eunice Power

This is a Diana Henry recipe, and I absolutely adore it — I’ve been cooking it for years. The sauce is what makes it: the freshness comes from lovely, in-season tomatoes and ripe mango. If you’re making this later in the year, you can substitute the fresh

Servings

4

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 10g unsalted butter

• ½ tbsp sunflower oil

• 1 pack (approx. 700g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 9 thighs), cut in half

• Salt and pepper

• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 6 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1½ tbsp curry paste (I use Patak’s vindaloo)

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 250ml chicken stock

• 160ml can of coconut cream

• 1 tsp soft light brown sugar

• 1 just-ripe mango, peeled, pitted and sliced

• 3 tbsp double cream

• Juice of ½ lemon or 2 limes

• 2 tbsp roughly chopped

• coriander leaves

• To serve

• Coriander chutney (see recipe)

• Fresh tomato chutney (see recipe)

• Raita (see recipe)

Method

1. Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan, add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, seasoning it as it cooks. You only want to colour it, not cook it through. Remove to a plate.

2. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook over a medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for another three minutes. Stir in the curry paste and ginger.

4. Cook for two minutes, until the spices have released their aromas, then add the stock, bring to the boil and keep boiling until the liquid has been reduced by about half.

5. Reduce the heat, add the coconut cream and sugar and return the chicken to the pan.

6. Cook on a medium-low heat — don’t boil it — for 15 minutes. Add the mango in the last four minutes of cooking time.

7. Stir in the cream and add the citrus juice. Taste for seasoning.

8. Simmer for about a minute to heat through, then add the coriander and serve with rice.

Accompaniments for Chicken, mango and coconut curry

recipe by:Eunice Power

I serve Chicken, mango and coconut curry a few spicy accompaniments alongside so people could dip in and out as they liked

Servings

4

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• For the Coriander Chutney

• 1 onion

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 1-2 green chillies

• 1 large bunch fresh coriander

• 100g ground almonds

• Juice of lime

• 3 tbsp oil

• 1 heaped tsp of sugar

• Salt and pepper

• For the Fresh Tomato Chutney

• 3 medium fresh tomatoes

• 1 red onion

• 1 small red chilli

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• Salt and pepper

• For the Raita

• ½ cucumber

• 1 garlic clove (optional)

• 300ml natural yogurt

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint

• Salt and pepper

• 1 hot chilli (optional)

Method

1. For the Coriander Chutney

2. Peel and quarter the onion, then peel the garlic.

3. Chop the chillies, discarding the seeds if you’d like a milder chutney.

4. Wash and dry the coriander thoroughly if needed, then chop it roughly.

5. Toast the ground almonds in the pan every so often so they colour evenly, then leave to cool.

6. Put the onion, garlic, chillies,coriander and toasted almonds into a blender or food processor with the lime or lemon juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper.

7. Process in short bursts soeverything combines but still keeps a little texture.

8. Turn into a bowl and leave at room temperature for at least an hour to let the flavours develop, then season to taste. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

9. For the Fresh Tomato Chutney

10. 3 medium fresh tomatoes

11. 1 red onion

12. 1 small red chilli

13. 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

14. 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

15. Salt and pepper

16. Roughly chop the tomatoes, then peel and finely chop the onion and deseed and finely chop the chilli.

17. Mix all the ingredients together, stirring well.

18. Cover and leave for at least an hour before serving.

19. For the Raita

20. Finely chop or grate the cucumber, pop in a colander with a large pinch of salt and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Then press out as much liquid as possible.

21. Next peel and finely chop the garlic, I grate it on a microplane. Beat the yogurt, then mix in the cucumber and garlic.

22. Add the mint and season a few grinds of black pepper, taste to check if you need to add additional salt.

23. For a “hot” raita, finely chop the chilli, including the seeds for extra heat if you like, and stir it into the raita.

24. Cover and leave to stand for 30minutes to let the flavours develop.