In the early days of The Greasy Spoon, one of the most popular posts was my Cordon Bleu influenced recipe for Chicken Curry (English Style). Here's another excellent take on curry from A. A. Gill's The Ivy, the Restaurant and its Recipes. Unusually, it uses cooked aubergine (or egg plant) to thicken the sauce.
Take some chicken thighs, remove the skin, and season them in salt and black pepper. Heat up some ghee (that's the Indian word for clarified butter) in a hot pan, and fry a teaspoon of cumin seeds, two teaspoons of cumin powder, two teaspoons of tumeric, a pinch of saffron, four teaspoons of curry powder, a small cinammon stick, a pinch of curry leaves (or three bay leaves), two teaspoons of paprika, four cloves, a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, and a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
While the spices are cooking away, add six cloves of crushed garlic, a knob of peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger, and two small chopped chillies. Cook for a few minutes to release all the flavours, but make sure the spices don't burn, so you may have to watch the gas.
Next, put in the seasoned chicken thighs, 200g aubergine flesh (which you've previously skinned, and chopped into small pieces), and two teaspoons of tomato purée. Cook for a further five minutes. Then pour in a litre or so of good chicken stock, and the juice of half a lemon. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
The aubergine should disintegrate and thicken up the sauce. Finish off the dish with cream of coconut (you can buy this in a block, and add it bit by bit), and some chopped coriander. Serve with either Basmati or my Lemon Rice, and some home-made chutney.
