VJ’s Chicken Curry

IMG_2790When my parents were travelling in Canada they were taken to a very popular Indian restaurant in Vancouver called VJ’s. As a gift from their hosts they were also given a cookbook produced by the restaurant. This is the only recipe I have cooked from the book. It’s so good that I haven’t managed to cook anything else from it yet! Over time we’ve tweaked a couple of the ingredients and added capsicum and we think it’s perfect.

This curry is stunning. Delicious the night that it’s made and freezes really well too. We usually make a double batch and freeze half for a quick and easy mid-week meal. Serve with steamed rice and pappadams – delicious!

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to suit your palate)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 kg chicken thigh fillets, skinless
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped coriander

Method
Heat oil in a casserole dish over low-medium heat. Add onion and saute until golden, add garlic and saute for another couple for minutes. Add all spices and tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until the oil starts to separate and is very fragrant.

Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes until all white. Add capsicum, chicken stock and sour cream. Simmer for a further 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Let chicken cool slightly and pull apart to bite sized pieces. Stir through chopped coriander and serve with rice and pappadams.
IMG_4013Or, if you’re feeling up to it make sure you get some naan on the go to mop up all the sauce…yummo!