Cape Malay Chicken
Sweet-and-spicy South African chicken curry with potato, apricot jam and coriander.
makes 20 blocks, about 32p each
- Time
- 1 hr 5 min15 min prep · 50 min cook
- Makes
- 20 blocks
- Cost per blockPer block
- 32p
- Calories per blockCalories
- 74 kcal
- Spice
- 2 of 5
You’ll need
- 550gchicken thigh fillets
- 2 tins (800g)chopped tomatoes
- 250gpotatoes, 1.5cm dice
- 1½ (220g)onions
- 30g (2 tbsp)apricot jam
- 20ggarlic
- 20gfresh ginger
- 15mlrapeseed oil
- 1 (10g)red chilli
- 15gfresh coriander
- 15mllemon juice
- 6ggaram masala
- 3gpaprika
- 2gturmeric
- 1gcardamom
- 1gblack pepper
- 4gsalt
Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Serve it
Basmati or turmeric rice · Roti with a chopped tomato and onion sambal · Steamed green beans for a low-carb plate
Method
- Step 1: Dice the chicken and onion. Grate the garlic and ginger. Finely chop the chilli and coriander stalks. (10 min)
- Step 2: Fry the onion in the oil until golden. (8 min)
- Step 3: Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander stalks and all the spices for 1 minute.
- Step 4: Add the chicken and stir until coated and opaque. (3 min)
- Step 5: Add the tomatoes, potatoes and jam. Cover and simmer until the potato is tender. (20 min)
- Step 6: Uncover and reduce to a thick sauce. (10 min)
- Step 7: Stir in the lemon juice, salt and chopped coriander leaves. Cool and freeze in 69g blocks.
Hotter: use 2 red chillies with their seeds and add ½ tsp cayenne.
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per block | 74 | 6.3g | 6.1g | 2.6g | 1.3g | 0.26g |
| Per 3 blocks | 222 | 18.9g | 18.3g | 7.8g | 3.9g | 0.78g |
Cook’s notes
- Mango chutney works in place of the apricot jam.
- Chicken breast (£6.69/kg) is cheaper and leaner but dries out faster; take it off the heat as soon as the potato is done.
Serve it
Basmati or turmeric rice · Roti with a chopped tomato and onion sambal · Steamed green beans for a low-carb plate.
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
- Reheat
- Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
- A portion
- 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 222 kcal and 18.9g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.
Cape Malay Chicken questions
Why is there jam in a curry?
Sweet and fruity flavours are typical of Cape Malay cooking. The apricot jam balances the chilli and lemon and gives the sauce a gloss.
Can I use sweet potato instead of potato?
Sweet potato goes well with the jam and spices. It softens faster, so cut it a little bigger and check it after 15 minutes.
Can I use curry powder instead of the separate spices?
A mild or medium curry powder in roughly the same total weight works, though the flavour will be less distinctive than the individual spices.
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates.