A Cold Weather Curry

I haven’t quite given up on spring as yet but I sure am still making the cold weather type food that warms the soul! Soups, casseroles, stews, hot pots, pies and other cold-comfort dishes have all seen a return to my recipe repertoire this last week or two – and here’s the latest addition.

An Indian-influenced curry, this is a fragrant combination of chicken, onions, garlic, apple and sweet potato with turmeric, chillies, cardamom and cumin. It’s a lovely spicy, warming treat!

If you prefer you can use ordinary white potato instead of sweet potato but the stats will change slightly. I serve with a little basmati rice and cucumber raita (basically cucumber with yogurt and mint if you wish), with a scattering of sliced red onion and chopped coriander/cilantro.

CAPE MALAY CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

METRIC/US

low-fat cooking spray or mist

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

6 cardamom pods (bashed to split them open)

1 cinnamon stick

450 g/1 lb skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 Pink Lady or Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped

200 g/7 oz sweet potato, peeled and chopped

400 g/14 oz light coconut milk

200 ml/¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock/bouillon

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro

2 tsp cornflour

Method

Generously spritz a large pan with low-fat cooking spray or mist. Heat, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chilli, turmeric, cumin, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Stir in the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes to seal, then add the apple, sweet potato, coconut milk, stock/bouillon and coriander/cilantro. Simmer gently, partially-covered, for 30-35 minutes, adding a splash of water if necessary.
Mix the cornflour with a little water and stir into the chicken mixture to thicken slightly.
Serve hot with rice and raita if liked.

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: ½

CALORIES PER PORTION: 352

PROTEIN: 34.1g

CARBOHYDRATE: 24.7g

FAT: 13.3g

Image courtesy of South African Fruit