I’m a fairly new convert to a good curry. Takeaway wise I have always favoured a good greasy Chinese but have found I can knock together a pretty good curry in no time that is healthy, filling and nutritious. Why would I waste money on something that totally irritates my IBS and contains thousands of weird chemicals when I can create something that I know the exact ingredients of at home? Well, this is what I thought. Until I really started reading the packets of my herbs and spices. I never knew they contained weird additives to stop them from going off. The lovely chaps at Spice Kitchen have the answer.
Spice Kitchen source the freshest spices from around the world then hand blend and roast them before carefully packing them to be delivered to your door. I swear the package arrived at my desk at work and a colleague actually asked if I had Indian food for my lunch as he could smell the spices through the packaging! My spices were carefully packed in simple Ziploc bags ready for me to blend and/or grind as I saw fit. Spice Kitchen also sell authentic spice tins known as ‘masala dabbas’ in India. I think I need one when I place a repeat order as it would really help to keep my spices fresh and easy to use. The biggest positive for me as a clean/paleo eater is the omission of any nasties. These are fresh spices and this is evident by the intoxicating smell that hits your nostrils the second you open the packet.
So not really having much of an idea when it comes to individual spices I thought I’d combine the lot and see what happened. I really need to do this more often as the result is a taste sensation, I present to you the easiest chicken curry known to man that you can whip up in less than an hour and satisfy the hungriest healthy eater.
Clean Chicken Curry – Serves 4
Ingredients
2 teaspoons cumin
1.5 teaspoons coriander
1/4 cinnamon stick
1.5 teaspoons turmeric
4 curry leaves
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1.5 teaspoons mustard seeds
3 cloves
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 chicken breasts
2 carrots
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 carton passata
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Put all spices and garlic in a spice grinder and blitz. I used the Nutri Ninja and it worked just as well.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the spices until they form a smooth paste with the oil. Add the chicken and fry until browned and cooked through. Add the rest of the ingredients and enough boiling water to cover. Pop on a lid and simmer until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken. I like my curry really thick but if you prefer a ‘wetter’ sauce, take off the hob earlier.
I play with this recipe by trying different meat, vegetables and side dishes. My favourite is some steamed spring greens or chopped leeks so I can keep things clean but it works perfectly with rice.
Enjoy, let me know if you try it and what you think.
Spices provided for review purposes.
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