Notebooks up Close - Mano's Chicken Curry Recipe
Closing the doors to our business was tough, but operating solely online for weeks and months at a time during the pandemic allowed our small team to enjoy weekly lunches together in our little studio above the shop. Cooking for me has always been a way of bringing my loved ones together. My grandmother and great-grandmother were wonderful cooks, they prepared everything with so much love. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her and my mother learning how to make different kinds of curries. They unfortunately never really wrote any of their recipes down, therefore documenting recipes throughout my life has been important not only for me but for future generations as well.
When my daughter and son left for university, I presented them with Fiorentina and Leuchtturm notebooks full of recipes and food stories, and I have to say they’ve turned out to be great cooks and hosts. I have continued this tradition of recording my recipes for my grandchildren as well. Below is a recipe I’d like to share with my Phidon family - all of you! It’s a simple chicken curry which I make at least once a week. It’s fairly straightforward, and it comes together in about 35 mins. It makes for a cozy meal especially during the winter. Happy cooking!
- Mano
PS - I’m using my current favourite notebook in the shop, an A5 Stalogy blank notebook. Next time any of you get a chance to drop by the shop, why not bring along your notebooks! I would love to hear about some of your recipes and food stories.
Ingredients:
1 red onion - diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 fresh tomatoes diced or 1 can of diced/crushed tomatoes
1 green chilli - whole
1 cinnamon stick
1.5 tbsp garam masala (I usually make mine at home, I mix freshly ground cumin, dried coriander, cardamom, cloves and black pepper.
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder (or as much as you’d like)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup of fresh coriander + a little extra for garnish
salt to taste - I like to season lightly throughout the process, make sure to keep tasting.
4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. Bone-in chicken is important. You can also use a whole chicken, although you’ll have to slightly up the quantities of spices.
one large parboiled potato - diced up, or a few baby potatoes
olive oil
basmati rice
Method:
Begin with sautéeing your onions and the cinnamon stick on medium heat, stirring often so they don’t burn. Do this for at least 15 minutes, I find being patient with onions makes a huge difference. Once the onions are golden brown, toss in your ginger, garlic, and green chilli and sauté for 5 minutes or so. I like to have a kettle of hot water handy, adding a tiny bit every couple of minutes prevents the onions, ginger, and garlic from burning, and it also slowly adds to the base of the curry. Add your tomatoes and a quarter cup of hot water, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add your chicken, potatoes, dry spices, salt, and fresh coriander. Mix the chicken in well. Add a half cup of hot water, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve with rice and slices of cucumber with salt and lime. Garnish with fresh coriander, and enjoy!