BAKED CHICKEN CURRY WITH AVO CREMA
By the South African avocado growers’ association @ iloveavossa
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
For the marinade:
• juice of ½ lemon + extra
• 250ml plain yoghurt
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 30ml mild curry powder
• 50g melted butter
• 5cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 10 chicken thighs & drumsticks
• salt & pepper
For the sauce:
• avocado or olive oil for cooking
• 30ml butter
• 3cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 15ml mild curry powder
• 10ml ground cumin
• 10ml paprika
• 50g sachet tomato paste
• 410g can chopped tomatoes
• 15ml sugar
• 250ml cream
For the avo crema:
• 60ml plain yoghurt
• 1 avocado, chopped
To serve:
• 1 avocado, chopped
• handful coriander, chopped
• basmati rice
METHOD
1. For the marinade, combine all the ingredients and mix through the chicken in an oven proof dish( in a single layer).
2. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Bake the chicken, covered, for 1 hour.
4. For the sauce, heat a splash of oil and the butter in a large oven proof frying pan. Fry the
ESSENTIAL RECIPES- CHICKEN
ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin and paprika for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Stir through the cream. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove the chicken from the oven and add directly to the hot sauce( discard marinade). Cover and bake for 1 hour or until tender.
7. For the avo crema, blitz together the yoghurt and avocado until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
8. To serve, combine the avocado with a squeeze of extra lemon juice and coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Serve with the curry, rice and avo crema.
BUTTER CHICKEN
By Preshni Bangar @ presh _ eats
A rich, velvety classic with a perfect balance of spice, creaminess, and depth. Ideal with butter naan.
INGREDIENTS
For the marinade:
• 700g chicken breast or thigh fillets, cubed
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon Kashmiri masala
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 – 3 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce base:
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 100g butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• a handful of cashews
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes or 2 Roma tomatoes, peeled & grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
For the tempering & finishing:
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 stem curry leaves
• 1 cup whipping cream( reserve 2 – 3 tablespoons for garnish)
• 1 handful kasuri methi, crushed
• fresh coriander, chopped
METHOD
1. Mix chicken with lemon juice, garlic paste, spices, yoghurt, and salt. Cover and marinate for 20 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat oil and butter in a heavy pot. Sear the marinated chicken for 3 – 5 minutes until just sealed. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pot, sauté garlic and onion until translucent. Stir in tomato paste and cashews; cook 2 – 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and sugar; simmer until softened. Blend until smooth.
4. Heat the oil, then fry cinnamon, star anise, and curry leaves until fragrant. Add the blended sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the cream, reserving some for garnish. Simmer until the chicken is tender and the butter rises to the top.
6. Sprinkle with kasuri methi and coriander. Drizzle with reserved cream before serving.
76 | Summer 2025 / 26 • essentialflavours. co. za