Recipe for Spiced Chicken with Almonds

I first came across this recipe in Joyce Molyneux’s ‘Carved Angel’ cookery book; she had adapted it from a recipe in Madhur Jaffrey’s ‘Indian Cookery’ book.

Joyce uses both brown and white chicken meat but it’s also very good just with chicken breast.

Serves 6-8

2 lbs (900g) boned chicken, cut into finger-sized pieces (use brown meat)

1 tbsp (1 American tbsp + 1 tsp) coriander seeds

1 tbsp (1 American tbsp + 1 tsp) cumin seeds

2 tsp ground turmeric

Good pinch cayenne pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

4ozs (110g/1 cup) onions, roughly chopped

1 inch (2.5cm) piece of fresh ginger root, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 oz (30g/3 cup) blanched almonds

12 ozs (340g/3 cups) red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

5 tablesp. (7 American tablesp.) sunflower oil

5 fl ozs (140ml/2 cup) water

2 tbsp (2 American tbsp + 2 tsp) freshly

squeezed lemon juice

First prepare the chicken. (Remove the skin).

Warm the coriander and cumin seeds separately in a dry pan careful, not to burn (cumin burns more easily)

Grind in a pestle and mortar. Mix with turmeric, cayenne, salt, sugar, onions, ginger, garlic, almonds and peppers. Whizz in a food processor until smooth.

Heat the oil in a saute pan and cook the paste for about 10 minutes until reduced, add the chicken, water and lemon juice. Cover and cook gently for 15 - 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender*. Serve with pilaff rice.

Note: If you would like a hotter curry, increase the amount of cayenne to 2 teaspoonful.

*Brown meat takes longer to cook then white meat.

Basmati Rice with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce: Proceed as above, but omit the chicken. Serve the sauce over the Basmati Rice.