Chicken coconut curry

There are endless variations of this curry, but this is what I had at home today and YUMMIE! You can of course use other vegetables such as courgette, green beans, cauliflower, cabbage-or whatever you fancy. I often use a Korma curry paste to enhance flavours, but decided the jar had done its time in the fridge and made my own.

400-500g chicken breast fillet
2 large carrots
4 small/medium sized potatoes
4 good size mushrooms
2 small brown onions
8 broccoli florets
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken stock cubes
1½ cups boiling water (375ml)
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp tomato purée 
⅓ tsp ground ginger
⅓ tsp paprika
⅓ tsp cumin
1 tin (400ml) coconut milk, full fat gives best results

pinch of white pepper

½ tsp salt

1-2 tbsp cold water

2 heaped tsp cornflour

Cut chicken, onion, mushrooms, carrots and potatoes into bite size pieces. Potatoes are nice when they are a bit chunky. Dissolve 2 stock cubes in ½ cup boiling water. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken until all pieces are cooked on the outside. Sprinkle the chicken with a pinch of white pepper and a pinch of curry powder while frying. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes. Pour the stock into the pan and add the rest of the boiling water (1 cup). Crush the garlic clove through a garlic press and add broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, curry powder, turmeric, tomato purée, ginger, paprika and cumin and give it a good stir so the spices mix well with the liquid. 

Cover the pan and let boil for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then. When the potatoes are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce, add the coconut milk and salt and stir well. While you bring it back to the boil, dissolve the cornflour in 1-2 tbsp cold water. When your curry is boiling again, slowly pour in the cornflour whilst stirring until you have desired thickness.

Serve with basmati rice. 

Tip: I have used mild curry powder for the kids' sake, but medium or hot curry powder will obviously give more of a sting!

Tip: If you want a saucier curry, add more coconut milk or water. You may have to adjust the amount of salt and curry accordingly, and up the cornflour mix to 3 heaped tsp to 2 tbsp cold water.