This mild chicken curry with apple and raisins is another personal favourite from South Africa's eastern coast. Similar to korma in its mildness, it doesn't involve any dairy products, is lactose-free and low in fat.
Fruity fowl
This is one of my favourite curries from South Africa's eastern seaboard. It remains a little under the radar, perhaps because Durbanites usually embrace the machismo of how hot they like their curries. This mild number seldom shares the limelight. Nonetheless, that's exactly what makes kids love it and I'm now in full flight on my holiday recipes for children.
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, to contextualise it, it's akin to a korma in its spiciness—unless you choose to spice it up a little, which I usually do. But, it shares attributes with other Durban and South African curries from the east coast, for example, not using dairy products or nuts, making it ideal for those with allergies and intolerances.
From a foodie perspective, I think it is one of the few dishes I know that combines apple and chicken in a way that works really well.
Despite it being a fairly quotidian dish in KwaZulu-Natal, it's never really gained the recognition it deserves, overshadowed by the "bully boy" curries that use the infamous cayenne-based spice mixes that make "Durban curry" really hot.
Tastes like chicken
The combination of chicken and apple—more specifically bitter green apple such as Granny Smith—is unusual and works fantastically in this dish. As do bush quail, guinea fowl or ostrich—yes, done those versions and can vouch for them. Though I am going to give a few options for veggie and pescie versions, they come with the caveat that I don't think they really work as well. I have never known this dish to be cooked with red meat—though I guess you could try pork, thinking of apple—but I never have.
The origins of this dish as a "peasant" Indian South African dish stretched to feed large families or those working long, exhausting days in sugarcane fields, means it's frequently cooked with potatoes for an extra carb boost, even though traditionally served with rice. I find that kids love the version where you replace the potatoes with carrots. But for palates that can only take a certain amount of sweetness—it has apple and raisins as intrinsic ingredients—I most often opt for celery or celeriac ( especially in the colder months when you want something more filling).
No mix
This dish doesn't use a curry paste as such, but rather a combination of dry and wet spices.
The most ambiguous aspect is "mild (Madras) curry powder". Things like turmeric and garam masala are fairly similar in most regions. But, where this recipe cites "mild curry powder", this means very different things in different markets and regions. I advise you sidestep most Western supermarkets' own brands and use one from an Indian producer. These can be found in many local food shops from Toronto to Tirana, but also on the shelves of transnational supermarket chains.
As with most dishes that use fresh chillies, this dish will actually become "hotter" if you store it in the fridge—where it will keep well for at least 3 days stored in a covered dish. So, perhaps factor that into account if you're going to eat it later.
This dish feeds 2 to 3 diners. Scale up or down as required.
Shopping list
For chicken curry with apple and raisins
1 skinless chicken breast per diner, cut into large, bite-sized pieces
Approx. 6 tbspns sunflower oil (or peanut or vegetable oil)
1 tangy green apple (Granny Smith, or the like); washed with the skin on; grated
A generous handful of raisins (or sultanas)
2 onions (red or brown); cut in half then sliced vertically into "strips"
3 tspns garlic & ginger paste
1 large green bell pepper, cut into fairly large, irregular pieces
2 to 3 green chillies (to heat preference); roughly chopped, not de-seeded (unless you wish for a much milder curry)
3 to 4 sticks of celery, cut into large chunks
6 to 8 large mushrooms, sliced
1 tin chopped tomatoes; 400g (not plum tomatoes) or the fresh equivalent
3 tspns mild (Madras) curry powder
1 tspn mustard seeds
1 x 0.5cm cinnamon stick
4 tspns turmeric
2 tspns garam masala
3 cardamom pods
2 or 3 dried bay leaves
A generous clutch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
For the sambal
7 or 8 fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tspn of mint, puréed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
Approx. 5cm section of a fresh cucumber, washed and chopped
3 tbspns cider vinegar
Cooking Method
the sambal
Do this first. Add the chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber and onion to an appropriate dish. Dress with the cider vinegar and mint. Stir, cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 hours before serving
the chicken
In a shallow pan, heat half of the oil on a medium-to-high heat. When hot, add half of the chopped green chillies, half of the garam masala, half of the turmeric and half of the mild (Madras) curry powder. Stir into the oil and briefly fry, releasing the aromas
Add the chicken and stir in, first ensuring that it seals on all sides. Then, reduce the heat and sauté until the chicken is cooked. Allow the contents to cook until relatively dry, only adding a little water if needed to prevent sticking
Once cooked, remove from the heat and allow to rest
the curry
In a large pan with a lid, heat the remainder of the oil on a medium-to-high heat. When hot, add the garlic & ginger paste, the remaining green chilli and yellow mustard seeds. Allow to sizzle for a few minutes. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to "pop", add the onions and stir in. Reduce the heat to medium, adding a little water if needed to prevent sticking. Cover and sweat for 5 to 6mins
Add the green bell pepper and stir in. When the green pepper softens, add the sliced mushrooms. Cover and sweat for 4 to 5mins, adding a little water if needed
Uncover and add the grated apple. Stir in, ensuring it mixes with all the ingredients. As it cooks, ensure its caramelising juices coat all of the ingredients
Add the mild (Madras) curry powder and remaining turmeric. Stir in, lubricating with approx. 20ml water
Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices and stir in. Place the chopped coriander, cardamom pods, dried bay leaves and cinnamon stick on top of this mixture. Bring to the boil, adding approx. 1 cup of boiling water to the pot. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer and reduce for at least 10mins on a low heat
Uncover, add the celery and raisins. Stir in, re-cover, and simmer for 10 to 15mins
When the tomatoes are reduced—but the celery remains a little al dente—add the chicken and its juices. Stir in and simmer on a low heat for a further 10mins or until cooked to your preference
When the sauce has suitably thickened, plate and serve with rice, the sambal and condiments of choice. Durban "yellow rice" is the most common accompaniment with this dish. But, it also works really well as bunny chow, served in a hollowed out half-loaf of white bread. I usually serve this dish with the sambal, chutney or an achar
Alternatives
Vegans and vegetarians
The apple in this dish makes it a little difficult. Yes, I've often made it simply with adding extra mushrooms. But, to work as a true veggie/vegan dish, these sweet flavours need a foil. To date my two favourites are large pieces of aubergine‚—which you treat much like the chicken in the recipe above—or large pieces of sweet potato, which you add when you add the tomatoes in the steps above.
Pescatarians
Treat tuna steak, crayfish tails or langoustines as the chicken above. But, be warned: in my experience only tuna steaks really work with the apple—go figure.
Carnivores
I've never bothered to go there. My whole history with this dish has been about the the weird combination of chicken and sour apple, which is it's USP, something that works beautifully, despite expectations. I'm sure there could be such a thing as "pork curry", but it's just an anathema to me on so many levels. So, I've never tried it. Sorry.
Pairings
I usually have this dish with sparkling water with a slice of lemon or lime, beer or a SAFA chenin blanc, the white wine that can best wrestle with curries.
We're gonna leave it up to Karel to deliver the quintessential wine pairings—because I know he will and, frankly, I think the combination of chicken and sour apple will rouse his competitive sommelier muscles...
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