Mom's Curry Dinner

Nigel Slater’s Chicken Curry (with Mom’s notes) Serves 4

(Roughly cut carrots and potatoes, about 4 each, steam till almost cooked, then remove to a bowl to free up the cooking pot)

• 4 chicken pieces, breast halves or thighs (3 breast halves, each cut into 4 pieces)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (olive oil)
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons curry powder, from a recently opened jar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (omitted for Conni)
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used 1 small can of tomatoes, and 2 chopped fresh tomatoes, seeds and all)
• 1 cup chicken stock (increased to 400 ml jar)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (increased to 200g- one small carton)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (I used the whole lemon’s juice)

1. Rub salt and pepper into chicken. Heat butter and oil in a shallow pan, add the chicken and cook until the skin is golden. Turn and add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir every once in a while.

2. Stir in the curry powder and cinnamon. Cook for 4 minutes, until the spices are cooked. Add tomatoes, vegetables and stock, then simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked right through, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in the cream and taste the sauce, adjusting salt and pepper, if needed. Add the lemon juice. Simmer for 1 minute, then serve hot with basmati rice.