Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 1/2 tsp each of powdered ginger, chilli, turmeric,
- cinnamon, garam masala, salt
- 450g chicken breast, cubed
- 25g butter
- 1 brown onion, peeled and finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 to 4 TBS tomato paste
- 1 cup cream
Place rice in a large pot, and top with three cups of cold water. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, turn the heat right down, put a lid on top and simmer for 12-14 minutes. Take off the heat, and leave covered for five minutes. Pop a dried bay leaf in the pot when cooking for a subtle aroma, or squeeze a little lime juice over the cooked rice to add a delicate citrus tang.
Meanwhile, make your flavour base. Combine the ginger, chilli, turmeric, cinnamon, garam masala and salt in a bowl. Add more chilli if you prefer a bit more heat (remember that this is a typically milder curry which accounts for easily-startled Western tastebuds). Toss this mixture through the chicken, coating evenly.
In a wide saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking for two minutes.
Add the chicken to the pan, cook a further five minutes, stirring frequently.
Finally, add the tomato paste and cream, stirring to create an even consistency, and cook a final five minutes. Try adding only a few tablespoons of tomato paste initially, and add more as your palate requires.
Serve the chicken over the rice. Finely-sliced spring onions and mung bean sprouts make a fresh, crunchy garnish.
This meal will feed four hungry scarfies for just under $20.
