Chicken Curry with Apricots

This dish is a lovely blend of sweet, rich apricots and mellow, round spices such as cumin, turmeric and cardamom. With fresh ginger and green chillies providing a bit of bite, the chicken itself seems like an almost incidental ingredient!

SERVES 4-6

18 dried apricots

1 tablespoon ghee or oil

2 x 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) chickens, jointed

3 onions, finely sliced

1 teaspoon grated ginger

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 long green chillies, seeded, finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 cardamom pods, bruised

4 large tomatoes, peeled, cut into 8 pieces

Soak the dried apricots in 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) hot water for 1 hour.

Melt the ghee or add the oil to a large saucepan, add the chicken in batches and cook over high heat for 5–6 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until the onion has softened and turned golden brown.

Add the ginger, garlic and chopped green chilli, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin seeds, chilli powder and ground turmeric, and cook for a further 1 minute.

Return the chicken to the pan, add the cardamom, tomato and apricots, with any remaining liquid, and mix well. Simmer, covered, for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

Remove the chicken, cover and keep warm. Bring the liquid to the boil and boil rapidly, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly. To serve, spoon the liquid over the chicken.

Left: Sauté the chicken pieces in batches until browned.

Right: Stir the spices into the onion mixture and cook until fragrant.