Fijian Chicken Curry and Curry Leaf Rice
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Please note: The rice needs to be cooked the day before and then cooled
- Oil or ghee for frying
- 4 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 onions, peeled and finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 4 dried chillies
- 1kg/2.2lbs. chicken drumsticks, cut into thirds (ask butcher to do this)
- 3 branches curry leaves, leaves only
- 3 chillies (small or large, depending on how hot you like it)
- 1/2 - 1 cup water
- Salt and black pepper to season
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
For Curry Leaf rice
- 2 cups uncooked long grain rice, steamed according to directions and then cooled and refrigerated
- 50g/1.7ozs. browned butter or ghee
- 2 onions, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- Curry leaves from 4 sprigs
- Salt to season
Step 1 - Heat the oil or ghee in a large pot. Add the curry powder, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and saute until fragrant. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and ginger and saute for a minute or two. Add dried chillies, chicken pieces and curry leaves. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil and then knock down to a simmer.
Step 2 - Place lid on the pot and cook stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick. Add more water if needed. Keep stirring and adjust the heat and add fresh chillies, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Simmer until chicken is soft, around 30 minutes. Leave the lid off if you want the sauce to be thicker or keep it on if you want to have more sauce.
Step 3 - Heat half of the butter in a frypan until sizzling. Add the mustard seeds and onions and cook until softened. Add the rice and add more cubes of the butter and the curry leaves so that the rice doesn't stick. Serve hot with the curry.