Golden Turmeric Chicken Curry

To be honest, I never saw myself as a cook while growing up. I like good food, love hospitality, and cherish the idea of other people cooking great food for me. But then something shifted for me. My kids were growing up and I wanted them to have memories of awesome homemade food and plenty of laughter around shared dinner times.

There was something else that was nagging me too. I needed something that gave me joy and produced tangible results. My marketing and experience design consulting work often involves projects that take months, sometimes years, to show real results. That’s where cooking came in. When you serve a plate of food, you know very quickly if the person eating it loves it or hates it. There’s an honesty to that immediate feedback that I found refreshing. What I was cooking mattered, right in those moments when I cooked and when a loved one asked for a second serve. I was hooked to the joy and meaning that the act of cooking brought to my life.

Over time, family and friends started loving when I cooked and sometimes asked me to make a dish again. My tween son’s friends requested for me to cook a particular curry recipe for a Christmas party at school. The class teacher had heard raving reviews of the curry from the boys and told me she couldn’t wait to taste it. After having the curry, she said it was the best she had ever had! Whatever I was doing seemed to be working.

The golden turmeric curry keeps receiving a lot of love from my community. Tender chicken simmered in a vibrant sauce of turmeric, coriander, and warming spices. The base starts with onion, garlic, and ginger, then mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and whole cumin are bloomed to release their aromatics. It’s the kind of curry that fills your kitchen with incredible aromas and delivers pure comfort in every bite.

Ingredients:

500g boneless chicken thighs
2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
1 tbsp garlic (freshly minced with garlic press or paste form)
1 tbsp ginger paste
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp salt (or a bit more for extra flavor)
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method:

1. A little bit of prep goes a long way in this recipe. Cut chicken thighs into 2cm cubes. Thinly slice your onion, deseed and dice the tomato. Have everything ready before you start cooking.

2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and slightly golden.

3. Add garlic and ginger, cook a little more until fragrant.

4. Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and whole cumin seeds. Let them bloom and crackle.

5. Add chicken cubes and increase heat to high. Keep a cooking spoon handy to move the chicken around so it cooks evenly. As it starts getting cooked, the chicken will release a bit of water. Now stir in turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli, salt, and cumin powder. Stir it all up.

6. Add the tomato, stir, then lower heat to medium-low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. The tomato will soften and create more fluid in the process. You are ready for the next step once the tomato is totally softened. Keep the lid on for a few minutes longer if the tomato doesn’t soften in 5 minutes. Trust your instincts at every step.

7. Bring heat back to medium and stir in yogurt. In a few minutes the oil will separate slightly around the edges.

8. Chicken should be cooked by this point. Check with a thermometer if you like – if it’s anywhere around 75°C, it’s great!

9. Garnish with fresh coriander.

10. Serve with steamed basmati rice or naan.

Add fresh cucumbers on the side, fresh tomato salsa or yogurt raita. Happy eating!

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