South African chicken curry is made with bone-in chicken thighs which are simmered in a deliciously spicy gravy until they are succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender! It's packed with carrots, onions and potatoes, and you can make it as mild or as spicy as you prefer!
You won't find this chicken curry recipe in any of the UK Indian restaurants. This is not your typical Madras or Tikka Masala. This is a South African chicken curry, and I'm sure each family has their own version.
Anything goes with this chicken curry - you can add whatever vegetables you have available in your refrigerator or pantry with one exception - the curry MUST contain either a fruity chutney or apricot jam! This adds a slightly (not overpowering) sweet taste to the curry and helps form the sticky gravy that coats the chicken beautifully.
I've used Mrs Balls Chutney which is found in every South African household. Luckily you can buy it either from your local South African shop (in the UK at least) or in the larger branches of Sainsbury's or Tesco. It's also available on Amazon. And don't worry, if you can't find any, you can use my recipe and make your own Mrs Balls Chutney.
As far as spices go, I would say that most South Africans use a curry spice blend called Rajah, which comes in mild, medium and hot varieties. It's also available on Amazon, but after much experimenting with various combinations of spices I've come up with my own spice blend which I think tastes great.
You can make this curry as mild or as spicy as you prefer, simply by adjusting the amount of chilli flakes you add, making this chicken curry perfect for the entire family.
This is my version of South African chicken curry, made with bone-in chicken thighs which I like to use because I think the bones add extra flavour. There are also plenty of vegetables in the form of tomatoes, onions, carrots and potatoes. And of course, the mandatory Mrs Balls chutney!
On a final note, before we get on with the recipe, this chicken curry is traditionally served sprinkled with coconut and topped with sliced bananas. You won't see these in the photos as my UK-born-and-bred husband does draw the line at some things 🙂
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Ingredients
This recipe will feed 4 people.
- Chicken - I used bone-in skinless chicken thighs. You can substitute with boneless thighs if you wish or with chicken drumsticks. I've allowed 2 thighs per person.
- Vegetables - I used potatoes, onions and carrots which should be peeled and cut into chunks. The onions I quartered and separated into individual petals. I also used a large beef tomato (which I forgot to put in the photo) which was coarsely chopped.
- Tomato puree - this helps enrich the gravy with extra tomato flavour. It is simply highly concentrated tomatoes and you can buy it either in tubes or cans. You may know this as tomato paste.
- Chutney - If you can get hold of Mrs Balls Chutney I highly recommend you use it. Otherwise you can substitute it with any fruity chutney or even one or two tablespoons of apricot jam.
- Ginger and garlic - you can either use fresh ginger and garlic cloves which should be finely chopped, or do as I do and use ready chopped ginger and garlic from a jar.
- Stock cubes - chicken stock cubes which should be dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water. You can substitute with vegetable stock cubes.
- Flour - this should be lightly seasoned with half a teaspoon of salt and is used for coating the chicken before it is browned.
- Sunflower oil (not pictured) - used for browning the chicken. You can use any neutral flavoured vegetable oil such as canola or rapeseed.
- Spices - I used a mixture of:
- ground coriander
- ground cumin
- cumin seeds
- ground cinnamon
- turmeric
- garam masala
- yellow mustard seeds
- dried chilli flakes - these determine the heat of the curry. Add more or less according to your own taste. I find that one flat teaspoon of dried chilli flakes provides enough heat for my taste.
- Chopped parsley (not pictured) - optional and used for garnish.
**You can get the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Instructions
I would suggest that you prepare the vegetables and measure the spices into a small bowl before starting to cook the curry.
Step 1: Remove the skin and trim any visible fat from the chicken thighs. Coat the chicken in flour that has been seasoned with salt, and fry the chicken on medium heat in sunflower oil for 3 to 4 minutes until it starts to brown.
Step 2: Using a pair of tongs, turn the chicken over and brown it on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set it aside.
Step 3: Fry the onions, carrots, garlic and ginger in the same pan until the onions start to turn translucent (about 3 minutes). Use a spatula to loosen any bits left over from frying the chicken.
Step 4: Tip in all the spices and continue to fry for one minute, stirring continuously. As soon as the vegetables are well-coated move on to the next step.
Step 5: Add the tomatoes and stir them for 2 minutes until they start to soften.
Step 6: Add the tomato puree, chutney and stock along with the potatoes and bring to a boil.
Step 7: Turn the heat down to simmer and nestle the chicken pieces on top. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is starting to fall off the bone.
Step 8: If the gravy doesn't thicken sufficiently remove the lid for the final 10 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
Tips for a successful result
Here are my top tips to ensure your chicken curry turns out perfectly:
- Most importantly - make sure you use a pan is large enough to hold everything. Once the vegetables start to soften the chicken will sink into the liquid, causing it to rise, and it may spill out and make a mess all over the stove. Don't ask me how I know this!
- Don't skip the step of browning the chicken - it only takes a few minutes and it adds loads of flavour.
- When frying the spices with the onions, keep the heat low and stir continuously. Don't allow the spices to burn or they may develop a bitter taste.
- When you add the stock, if the pan seems too full, don't add all the stock. Keep some aside and top up during the cooking process. See the first hint above!
- While the chicken is simmering, turn it occasionally so that the flavour of the stock can soak into the flesh.
- If the gravy is too thin you can thicken it with a slurry of 2 teaspoons of cornflour (or cornstarch) combined with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir it into the curry on a low heat until the gravy has thickened. You may not need to use all the cornflour mixture.
- Once the curry is done, taste for seasoning and add additional salt if necessary.
Serving suggestions:
This dish is normally served with white rice.
There are plenty of vegetables in this chicken curry so you may not need any extra. However, if you would like to serve extra vegetables, why not try one of these recipes:
- Indian-style green beans
- Aloo gobi - cauliflower and potato curry
- Saag aloo - spinach and potato curry
- Buttery garlic naan - with 2-ingredient dough
As I mentioned this curry is traditionally served sprinkled with coconut and topped with sliced bananas. Some people also like to add an extra spoonful of chutney on top.
For a quick sambal, you could try finely chopping a tomato and onion and mixing it with a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and one or two tablespoons of white wine vinegar.
Variations
As I mentioned earlier, you can use whatever vegetables you have available when making this curry. I would at the very least stick to potatoes and onions, but you could add green beans or runner beans, leeks, shredded cabbage, sweet potato or butternut. You could also stir in a handful of frozen peas or sweetcorn kernels during the last 5 minutes to cooking time.
If you would like to change the flavour profile of the spice blend you could add a combination of any of the following:
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
You could also use 2 to 3 tablespoons of your favourite blend of pre-mixed curry spices instead of my suggested spice mix.
I use dried chilli flakes but you could leave these out and use one or two chopped bird's eye chillies instead. If you do this you should fry them with the onions.
If you don't have fruit chutney, substitute with 2 tablespoons of apricot jam. Alternatively you could add half a cup of chopped soft dried apricots, along with one tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.
Equipment
You will need a large casserole dish or saucepan to make this chicken curry. Make sure your dish or pan has a tightly fitting lid.
You will also need a sharp knife and a chopping board for cutting up the vegetables.
Storage
This curry can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely then transfer to suitable freezer containers.
To use, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat it in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat as above.
FAQ
Yes, this recipe can be made with chicken breasts. I would cut the breasts into largish pieces, coat them in flour and brown according to the recipe instructions. Chicken breasts will take a few minutes less cooking time than bone-in thighs.
Yes, you can make this curry using cubed lamb or beef. However take note of the cooking time. Stewing beef or lamb shoulder will take longer to tenderise than chicken so you should allow roughly half an hour longer to cook, and only add the potatoes after the first half hour so they don't turn mushy.
Save for later
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Related recipes
Visit my curry recipes page for other delicious curry meals. Here are a few chicken curries that you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
South African chicken curry
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Large casserole dish with lid OR
- Large saucepan with lid
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 2¼ pounds 1 kilogram chicken thighs approximately 8 thighs
- 2 tablespoons flour for coating the chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1½ pounds / 700 grams potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 medium onions peeled, quartered and separated into petals
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- ½ teaspoon crushed ginger
- 2 cups chicken stock you can make with 2 stock cubes
- ⅓ cup / 80 ml fruit chutney
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree / tomato paste
- 2 - 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 - 2 tablespoons chopped parsley optional (for garnish)
Spices
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes more or less to your own taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Remove the skin and trim any visible fat from the chicken thighs. Coat the chicken in flour that has been seasoned with salt, and fry the chicken on medium heat in sunflower oil for 3 to 4 minutes until it starts to brown.2¼ pounds 1 kilogram chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 - 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Using a pair of tongs, turn the chicken over and brown it on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Fry the onions, carrots, garlic and ginger in the same pan until the onions start to turn translucent (about 3 minutes). Use a spatula to loosen any bits left over from frying the chicken.2 medium carrots, 2 medium onions, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, ½ teaspoon crushed ginger
- Tip in all the spices and continue to fry for one minute, stirring continuously. As soon as the vegetables are well-coated move on to the next step.2 teaspoons garam masala, 1½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1½ teaspoon ground coriander, 1½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the tomatoes and stir them for 2 minutes until they start to soften.1 large tomato
- Add the tomato puree, chutney and stock along with the potatoes and bring to a boil.2 cups chicken stock, ⅓ cup / 80 ml fruit chutney, 2 tablespoons tomato puree / tomato paste, 1½ pounds / 700 grams potatoes
- Turn the heat down to simmer and nestle the chicken pieces on top. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is starting to fall off the bone.
- If the gravy doesn't thicken sufficiently remove the lid for the final 10 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
- Garnish with chopped parsley (optional) and serve spooned over white rice.1 - 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Notes
- Most importantly - make sure you use a pan is large enough to hold everything. Once the vegetables start to soften the chicken will sink into the liquid, causing it to rise, and it may spill out and make a mess all over the stove.
- Don't skip the step of browning the chicken - it only takes a few minutes and it adds loads of flavour.
- When frying the spices with the onions, keep the heat low and stir continuously. Don't allow the spices to burn or they may develop a bitter taste.
- When you add the stock, if the pan seems too full, don't add all the stock. Keep some aside and top up during the cooking process. See the first hint above!
- While the chicken is simmering, turn it occasionally so that the flavour of the stock can soak into the flesh.
- If the gravy is too thin you can thicken it with a slurry of 2 teaspoons of cornflour (or cornstarch) combined with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir it into the curry on a low heat until the gravy has thickened. You may not need to use all the cornflour mixture.
- Once the curry is done, taste for seasoning and add additional salt if necessary.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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VJ
I've published a lot of curry recipes, but this has to be one of my favourites!