Annabel Karmel Chicken Curry

Whether you live alone; as a family; in a shared house etc., either you are asked the question or you ask yourself the question … “What is for dinner?”

I don’t know about you - our members - but this question always gives me the fear of dread!

One of my children may have suddenly developed an allergy to gluten or decides they are now vegetarian. This happened overnight so the weekly shop that I did on Sunday doesn’t include anything that they want!

If you have young children, the “witching hour” can kick in from anytime and you need to make something quick, nutritious and not just pasta and pesto!

You live alone and are on your way home from work and realise there is nothing in the fridge - or at least nothing that you fancy cooking - and there’s no one there to even give you an idea!

I wanted to start this column to share some recipes to possibly help in some of these circumstances. I’d welcome input from our members too - I’m sure there are many of you out there who have that Go To meal that could help many of us in our hour of need!

First up, Annabel Karmel Chicken Curry

This recipe was developed by Annabel as a recipe for weaning small children. However, my children are now 19 and 26 but I still make this and it’s always a winner! It freezes well and keeps in the fridge and is lovely the next day warmed up with a bit of crusty bread

Ingredients:

• 1 apple

• 150g basmati rice

• 1 brown onion

• 1 clove garlic

• 100g carrots

• 2 chicken breast

• 1 chicken stock cube

• 50g coconut cream sachet

• 80g garden peas

• 1 tbsp korma curry powder

• 25g mango chutney

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• Vegetable oil

• Salt & pepper

1. Add the basmati rice and 350ml of cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil

over a high heat

2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-15 min or until all the

water has absorbed and the rice is cooked. Once cooked, remove from the heat and

keep covered until serving

3. Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the onion. Top, tail, peel and chop the carrot into

matchsticks. Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic. Peel and finely slice the apple

4. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a

medium heat . Once hot, add the carrot and onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 4

min or until beginning to soften

5. Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces

6. Boil a kettle

7. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper

8. Once the onion and carrot have softened, add the chopped garlic and cook for 1

min. Add the sliced apple and cook for a further 3 min

9. Meanwhile, remove the coconut cream from the sachet[s] and chop it roughly .

Dissolve the chopped coconut cream and chicken stock cube 400ml boiled water –

this is your coconut stock

10. Add the sliced chicken and korma powder to the vegetables and cook for 4 min or

until they’re browned all over. Add the coconut stock, mango chutney and tomato

paste to the pan, increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Once boiling,

reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 min

11. Add the garden peas and cook for a further 4-5 min or until the chicken is cooked

through and the sauce has thickened to a curry-like consistency

12. Serve the fruity chicken curry over the basmati rice. Enjoy!