Indian dish to suit all tastes

Green Chicken Curry

3/4 cup yoghurt

1 cup coriander leaves

1 cup mint leaves

2 green chillies or according to spice tolerance

4 tablespoons ghee

500g boneless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

A little water, about 4 tablespoons

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon butter or ghee for garnish

Place the yogurt, coriander leaves, mint leaves and chillies into a hand blender or a regular blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. Add a few extra teaspoons of yoghurt if it’s too dry. Use Greek yogurt as it is easily available here in Cyprus.

Heat the 4 tablespoons of ghee on a medium fire in a skillet or deep pan. Add the ginger garlic paste (instead of ginger garlic paste use finely minced ginger and garlic. Fresh ingredients always taste better than from a can) and the black pepper powder, the coriander powder, the cumin powder and the turmeric powder, and cook for a 3-4 minutes until fragrant and the raw smell of the spices disappears. Do not let it burn.

Mix in the green yogurt masala. Make the green masala, from the top four ingredients, ahead of time, and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Lower the heat and cook on low till the mixture thickens. Add the chicken. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken changes colour. Keep stirring. Add the water if it is too dry. Cook for 5-7 minutes, while stirring in between, until the chicken is cooked through.

I use chicken breast for this recipe and it cooks fast, but you can also use bone-in chicken or even boneless chicken thighs. However, the cooking time will increase.

When you see the oil separating from the curry and the gravy has thickened slightly, add lemon juice and butter, and mix.

Serve with rice, paratha or naan.

Serene runs amateur cooking club The Best Exotic Kerala Kitchen, where cooking lessons are held for friends and family. Tel: 99 222462