How to cook… Chicken Patia

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

Although traditionally cooked with fish, restaurants now serve this Parsee dish with your choice of meat, and chicken has soon become a curry house favourite. Parsee dishes are famed for their sweet and sour flavours and Patia is no different, using tamarind and jaggery to get the balance just right.

What you need…
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced (or 1 teaspoon garlic paste)
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• Half a red pepper, cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• Small handful of coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and keep a few leaves aside for the garnish)
• Salt to taste
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tablespoon jaggery (or brown sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon tamarind sauce/chutney (or lime juice)

Spice Mix
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika


How to make it
1. Heat the oil in a pan to a medium heat, add the garlic and fry for 1 minutes. While it is cooking mix the Spice Mix with a little water to form a sloppy paste.
2. Add the Spice Mix to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. It should now be thick and gloopy.
3. Add the Base Curry Sauce and pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the jaggery, tamarind and garam masala, and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are cooked through (about 7–10 minutes).
6. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
Restaurants sometimes use lime juice and brown sugar instead of tamarind and jaggery.

If you like this you should try our
Sag PaneerChilli PaneerButter ChickenButter PaneerPrawn KormaMedium Chicken CurryChicken MadrasChicken VindalooChicken BhoonaChicken Dopiaza

If someone wants to taste this curry then just Parsee it to them.

How to cook… Chicken Dhansak

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

A thick, sweet and sour dish, Dhansak originates from Persia (Iran). The dish was introduced to India by a group of Parsees (from Persia) spread south to Gujarat to escape persecution in 1500BC. Lentils and mixed vegetables are added to some Base Curry Sauce, with sugar and lime (or lemon) juice adding the sweet and sour tastes.

What you need…
• 120g red split lentils, washed and well rinsed
• 3 Tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• 400g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 400g mixed (frozen or tinned) vegetables, cut into small pieces
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lime or lemon juice
• salt, to taste

How to make it
1. Boil the lentils with water until cooked (about 25–30 minutes).
2. While they are cooking heat the ghee in a pan to a medium heat. Add the turmeric and 3 Tablespoons of the Base Curry Sauce. Once warmed through add the chicken and stir fry until all the pieces are sealed (about 2 minutes).
3. Add the rest of the Base Curry Sauce, the cooked lentils and the rest of the ingredients, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.
4. Stir, add a little water if needed, and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are cooked through.

CHEF’S TIP
If you are really looking for a really old-school version of this dish you can add a couple of chunks of pineapple.
Chicken Dhansak, sweet and sour, and full of flavour.

If you like this you should try our
Prawn MadrasPrawn RoganPrawn VindalooPrawn DopiazaMughlai Malai KoftaMedium Chicken CurryChicken MadrasChicken VindalooChicken BhoonaButter ChickenChicken Dopiaza

Don’t have a food fight with Dhansak. It’s only funny lentil someone gets hurt.