I recommend that you par-boil the cauliflower while you are cooking the sauce, as that puts you in far better control over how tender it is by the end. It would be so easy for the curry to be the right texture, but the cauliflower to be too hard - or even worse, utterly fallen apart to mush.
I always include the sweet potato pieces (cut into half inch or smaller dice) from the beginning and they seem to have just cooked to perfection by the end. However, if you're dubious about that, feel free to par-boil those with the cauliflower.
As for accompaniments, well the Indian world is your oyster. We always have plain Basmati rice alongside the curry because it helps to cool the tongue. However, you could make a pilau rice, or have chapattis, naan bread, raita (which is also great for cooling), onion bhaji's, pakoras - whatever you fancy. Right at the moment, I'm trying to lose weight, so I've cut down on the accompaniments but the menfolk still had a couple of onion bhaji's, just so that they don't feel too hard done by.
Here's the recipe, don't be scared by the list of ingredients as it is a simple matter of putting them all in the one pan in order. As such, I recommend you get everything ready before you start to cook, otherwise you could find yourself dashing around the kitchen getting a bit stressed - and we don't want that! Oh and if you cook for just one person and have a freezer, I can recommend freezing the leftovers as it only gets better for keeping and defrosts perfectly.
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| Maggi Tamarind Sauce - to help you find it, if you're new to it. |
Ingredients :
1 tbsp coconut oil
300g boneless, skinless chicken breast cut across the grain into small chunks
sea salt
50g or thereabouts of small cauliflower pieces
1 large onion, diced finely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 fresh red chilli, chopped finely (save a little back for garnish)
half a tsp ground black pepper
half a tsp ground cinnamon
25g salted butter
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into half inch dice
2 medium sized ripe tomatoes, finely diced
4 heaped tsp medium curry powder
1 flat tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp Maggi tamarind sauce (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)
500ml cold water
a small handful of sultanas or raisins
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (save a little back for garnish)
25g creamed coconut
1 tsp honey.
Method :
Heat the coconut oil in a deep frying pan and, once sizzling hot, add the chicken breast pieces and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Leave them to turn golden on two sides, then remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and reserve. The chicken doesn't need to be cooked through at this stage.
While the chicken is cooking, bring a pan of water to the boil and add the cauliflower pieces to par-boil for 5-10 minutes. You want them to be just off being fork tender, as they will finish cooking in the curry sauce.
Add the onion, garlic, red chilli, a pinch of sea salt & the black pepper to the frying pan (using the oil that remains from the chicken) and cook for some 10-15 minutes until the onion is softened and transparent. Add the cinnamon and stir through.
Add the salted butter and while that is melting, add the sweet potato pieces. Stir everything together and cook on for another 5 or so minutes, until the sweet potato is heated through and beginning to cook.
Add the diced tomatoes and stir through. Cook on for another 15 minutes or so, until the tomato has begun to break down and the oil is separating from the mixture.
Don't forget to drain the cauliflower and reserve it for use later!
Sprinkle in the curry powder and turmeric and stir through. Cook on, to ensure that the spices are cooked through and lose their raw taste, for another 5-10 minutes, stirring often to ensure they don't catch on the bottom of the pan.
Add the tamarind sauce (or lemon juice) and cold water, along with the sultanas and coriander and stir through. Bring the contents of the pan to a lively simmer and cover with a lid. Cook until the sweet potato is just off being fork tender, then remove the lid.
Add the cauliflower and chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes during which time the sauce will reduce. Continue the lively simmer (add a little water if the sauce becomes too reduced) and add the creamed coconut. This will have the effect of thickening and sweetening the sauce so once the coconut is stirred in well, taste for sweetness and if your preference is for the mix to be a little sweeter, then add the tsp of honey. It is quite okay to omit the honey, if the mix is sweet enough already.
When the sauce is at your preferred consistency, serve onto warmed plates with the reserved coriander and red chilli sprinkled over and accompaniments of your choice.
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