Serves 6, prep time 40 minutes, cooking time 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTE
1 tsp of dried chilli flakes
3 cinnamon sticks
1½ tsp of cumin seeds
8 cardamom pods
10 cloves
1 tsp of turmeric
2 tsp of grated ginger
2 crushed cloves of garlic
FOR THE POTATO STRAWS
2 large potatoes grated
500ml of vegetable oil
Salt & pepper
FOR THE CURRY
15 dried apricots, halved
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 onions chopped
4 chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp of tomato purée
1 can of chopped tomatoes
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp of white vinegar
1½ tsp of sugar
TO SERVE
Steamed Basmati rice
Coriander sprigs
METHOD
Bring 300ml of water to the boil, simmer the apricots for about 10 minutes until they soften.
When done, turn off the heat and leave to one side.
In a pestle and mortar or food processor, blend the dry ingredients with the garlic and ginger into a paste.
Place the cubed chicken in a large bowl and coat with the paste.
(It’s good to do this and leave the chicken to marinate overnight).
Next, heat the oil and sauté the onions, add the chicken and brown.
Pour in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, season and simmer for fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, grate the potato with a medium cheese grater.
Rinse under cold water until it runs clear.
Place the grated potato onto a tea towel, spread it out evenly, cover with a second tea towel and press down hard.
Add the apricots, sugar and vinegar, to the pan and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Next, heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium heat. Add a handful of potato, stir once and leave the straws to brown.
With a mesh, spoon remove the straws and place on some kitchen towel to drain the excess oil. Repeat until you have fried all the potato.
Shake and add salt. Remove the curry from the heat and serve with steamed rice, and top the dish with the potato straws.