Basic Chicken Curry, made with SN1

SPICE CURRY SPICE PACK “Spice Curry Spice Pack Symphony No.1 (SN1)” — a basic chicken curry recipe.

A basic chicken curry, and a good place to start if this is your first time cooking a spice curry.

Its gentle flavour never tires. This is not a “save the spice curry for a special day” recipe — it is a “today is busy, so let us make a spice curry” recipe.

If this is your first spice curry, reading the articles below before you start will give you a better result.

When your spice curry turns out watery Thinking about the chicken skin in chicken curry Are the whole spices in the starter spices meant to be eaten? Which spice do you add when you want more heat?

Ingredients (serves 4)

• SN1 / starter spices (the whole-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• SN1 / powder spices (the ground-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• Tinned tomatoes: 1 tin (400g / whole peeled tomatoes recommended)
• Onion: 1
• Garlic (grated): 1 tbsp
• Ginger (grated): 1 tbsp
• Chicken thigh: 250–300g (1 thigh fillet)
• Coconut milk: 3 tbsp (milk also works)
• Nam pla (Thai fish sauce): 2 tsp (soy sauce also works)
• Vinegar: 1 tsp
• Sugar: 1 tbsp (unrefined cane sugar recommended)
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Oil: 3 tbsp (use whichever oil you like. For this recipe we recommend rice bran oil or light sesame oil)
• Water: 200ml

Preparation

• Grate the garlic and ginger.
  
  

  If you do not have a grater, chop them finely instead

  
  
• Cut the onion into wedges (or chop it finely).
  
  
• Cut the chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces. If you would rather not have the skin, remove it.
  
  
  
  

Method

1. Pour 3 tbsp of oil into a pan, add the starter spices (the whole-spice sachet) and heat over low heat.
   
   
   
   
2. When the spices start to crackle and pop, add the grated garlic and ginger and fry for about 30 seconds.
   
   
   
   
3. Once the garlic and ginger smell fragrant, add the onion, stir everything together and turn the heat to high.
   Adding a splash of water to stop it catching, cook the onion thoroughly until it is deep golden brown — this is the key to a good result.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Fry for about 15 minutes, adding a splash of water as you go. Once the onion is deep golden brown, turn the heat to medium, add the chicken thigh and fry thoroughly until cooked through.
   
   
5. When the meat is cooked through, add the powder spices and stir so that everything is coated.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Once the spices have cooked, push the ingredients to one side of the pan, add the tinned tomatoes, crush them well and stir everything together.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Add the coconut milk: 3 tbsp (or milk), nam pla: 2 tsp (or soy sauce), vinegar: 1 tsp, sugar: 1 tbsp, salt: 1 tsp and water: 200ml.
   
   
8. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
   
   
9. When it has thickened, it is done.
   (Taste it. If it needs more salt, add a pinch at a time and adjust to your liking — that final adjustment is what makes it taste good.)
   
   

Inspice spice curry spice sets contain none of the usual sources of heat — chilli, cayenne pepper or chilli powder — so please add heat to your own taste.

The keys to flavour: a splash of water, and deep golden onions How far you cook the onion changes the finished flavour enormously. When a curry comes out watery, or the tomato tastes too sharp, or the depth feels thin, the single biggest cause is moving on to the next step before the onion has turned deep golden brown. For this basic chicken curry, always cook the onion for 12–15 minutes, frying it properly until it is deep golden brown. The points to watch are: Keep the heat at medium to high Spread the onion evenly across the pan and leave it, then stir; spread it evenly and leave it, then stir; and repeat When you stir and feel the onion catching on the base of the pan, add a splash of water, often (in our experience, about 2 tbsp of water at a time, roughly five times in all) That splash of water carries the savoury depth released by the cooking through the whole pan, and lets you reach deep golden onions without burning them. Letting it catch slightly and then adding water actually draws out more of that depth. It takes a little time and attention, but it is the step that decides the flavour, so give it the time it needs.

Buy the spice packs here