Description
A fragrant and flavorful Cardamom Chicken curry simmered with aromatic spices, tender aubergine, and fresh lime leaves, served alongside a spiced brown basmati rice and red lentil pilaf. This comforting dish combines warm spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and turmeric with a touch of mango chutney and fresh green pepper to create a rich and hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cardamom Chicken Curry
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 12 cardamom pods, seeds removed and lightly crushed
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp turmeric
- ½ –1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp mango chutney
- 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
- 1 aubergine, cubed
- 12 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 1kg)
- 4 small fresh or dried lime leaves
- 1 green pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced
For the Spiced Rice and Lentils
- 125g brown basmati rice
- 100g dried red lentils
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
- 750ml water
Instructions
- Prepare the Base: Heat the rapeseed oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
- Add Aromatics and Spices: Stir in the grated garlic, fresh ginger, crushed cardamom seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently to release the aromas and flavors of the spices.
- Incorporate Remaining Spices and Liquids: Add turmeric, ground white pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin, and sliced red chilli. Stir briefly over the heat to toast the spices lightly. Then pour in the chopped tomatoes along with one can’s worth of water, add mango chutney and vegetable bouillon powder, mixing well to combine all ingredients.
- Cook the Aubergine: Stir in the cubed aubergine, bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes, allowing the aubergine to soften and absorb the flavors.
- Add Chicken and Lime Leaves: After 15 minutes, stir well and add the skinless boneless chicken thighs along with the fresh or dried lime leaves. Submerge the chicken pieces under the liquid and scatter the sliced green pepper on top. Cover the pan again and cook gently for 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the pan. Using two forks, shred the chicken into medium-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir to combine evenly.
- Prepare the Rice and Lentils: While the chicken is cooking, rinse the brown basmati rice and red lentils together. Place them in a medium saucepan with cumin seeds, turmeric, vegetable bouillon powder, and 750ml water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice and lentils are tender and cooked through.
- Rest the Rice: Turn off the heat and leave the rice and lentils covered for an additional 5 minutes to absorb any remaining moisture, resulting in fluffy grains.
- Serve: Spoon the fragrant cardamom chicken curry onto plates and accompany with the spiced brown basmati rice and lentil pilaf for a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Removing the seeds from the cardamom pods prevents them from overpowering the dish with bitterness while still imparting their aromatic flavor.
- Adjust the amount of red chilli to control the spice level according to your preference.
- For a milder version, you can substitute chicken thighs with skinless chicken breasts; however, thighs generally remain juicier and more flavorful.
- If fresh lime leaves are unavailable, dried lime leaves work well and still provide a distinctive citrus aroma.
- Ensure the pan is covered during simmering to retain moisture and develop rich flavors.
- Brown basmati rice adds a nutty flavor and extra fiber compared to white rice.
- This recipe can be doubled for larger gatherings, but cooking times may need to be slightly adjusted accordingly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: cardamom chicken, chicken curry, Indian chicken recipe, lamb rice pilaf, basmati rice, spiced chicken, aubergine curry, lime leaf recipe, fragrant chicken curry, hearty chicken dish
