START TO FINISH: 1 hour
SERVINGS: 6
Lemony and richly savory, Cape Malay curry is a chicken and vegetable one-pot from South Africa. Its ingredients are similar to those in Indian curries, but the techniques are different, creating a refreshingly light curry. Spices, for instance, aren’t ground but are dropped, whole, into the broth and often discarded just before serving. We started our curry with a flavor base of lightly browned onions, then used fennel and cumin seeds to add texture and flavor. Fresh ginger and lemon juice kept flavors bright. A whole chicken is sometimes used for this dish, but we liked the ease of boneless, skinless thighs, which stay moist and taste richer than chicken breasts.
Don’t forget to remove the ginger, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and chili halves from the cooking liquid after removing the chicken. Also, don’t cut the potatoes smaller than 1-inch chunks; smaller pieces will overcook and break apart.
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4-ounce piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 5 pieces
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chilies, stemmed and halved lengthwise
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve
½ cup lightly packed fresh mint, torn
Cooked basmati or jasmine rice, to serve
In a bowl, mix the fennel, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the turmeric. Use 1 tablespoon of the mixture to season the chicken.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic and chilies, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth or water, tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaves and remaining spice mixture, then submerge the chicken thighs.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 25 minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain a steady but gentle simmer. Stir in the potatoes, cover and return to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender and a skewer inserted into the largest piece of chicken meets no resistance, another 12 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a large plate. Remove and discard the ginger, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and chili halves, then continue to simmer over medium until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, using 2 forks, pull the chicken into bite-size pieces, then return to the pot and stir to combine, taking care not to break up the potatoes. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with mint. Serve with rice and lemon wedges.