Chicken Moeru Curry

Serves 6–8

This dish is the Eurasian version of Indian chicken curry. It is full of flavour from the variety of aromatics and spices used. If desired, the chicken can be substituted with beef or mutton. To keep the cooking time short, cut the beef or mutton into small cubes. This spicy dish goes well with rice.

Cooking oil 4 Tbsp
Onion 1, peeled and sliced
Garlic 20 g (⅔ oz), peeled and sliced
Ginger 20 g (⅔ oz), peeled and sliced
Cinnamon 1 stick, about 5-cm (2-in)
Cloves 8

Star anise 2
Cardamom 3 pods
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Curry powder 125 g (4½ oz)
Chilli powder 2 Tbsp
Light soy sauce 2 Tbsp

Chicken 1, about 1.5 kg (3 lb 4½ oz),
cut into 16 pieces

Potatoes 2, peeled and quartered
Water 400 ml (13⅓ fl oz)
Salt ½ Tbsp

Ground Paste

Large onions 8, peeled and sliced

Ginger 10-cm (4-in) knob, peeled and
sliced

Garlic 15 cloves, peeled

Dried chillies 100 g (3½ oz), cut and
soaked for 10 minutes, seeds removed

1.   Pound or grind together ingredients for ground paste until fine. Set aside.

2.   Heat oil in pot over low heat and fry onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, star
anise, cardamom and curry leaves until onion is soft.

3.   Add ground paste and fry until oil rises.

4.   Add curry powder, chili powder and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly.

5.   Add chicken, potatoes and water and simmer over low heat until chicken is
cooked and potatoes are soft. This may take about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

6.   Remove from heat. Serve hot.

NOTE

•  When frying the spices in step 2, keep the heat low to prevent the spices from exploding
in the pot.

90

EURASIAN HERITAGE

Cooking