Creole Chicken Curry

This recipe I sourced from a unique beach cafe in the Seychelles, during my ‘Food and Travel’ journalistic days with a Qatar based lifestyle magazine and the renowned airline Qatar Airways.

I particularly love this chicken curry as it captures all the natural spices and tropical flavours from this unparalleled island nation, which bathes in the warmth of the Indian Ocean and surrounding African continent.

A deliciously creamy curry and very simple to make.

Enjoy.

15 minutes

1 hour

150ºC

Ingredients

6-8 large chicken breasts

- no skin and cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp pure Ghee

- or olive oil
2 medium red onions

- finely chopped
2 tbsp curry powder

- mild
1 tbsp creole spices
Pinch of powdered saffron
1 large piece cinnamon bark
Handful of small curry leaves

- or dried or fresh cinnamon leaves
2 garlic cloves

- skinned and crushed
400ml cold water
400ml can coconut milk
4-6 large potatoes

- peeled and cut into small cubes
Freshly ground black pepper

- to taste
Sea salt

- to taste
Homemade Creole Spice
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp paprika

- mild
1 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp powdered bay leaves

- or one whole, crumbled
1 tsp chilli powder
Garnish
Few curry leaves

- or dried or fresh cinnamon leaves

Instructions

Make creole spice:
01 Mix all spices together and store in a sealed container. Keep in a cupboard or refrigerator.
Assemble everything to cook:
02 In a large casserole pan melt the ghee (or heat olive oil), add chopped onion and soften. Add garlic and quickly cook 1 minute.
03 Now add all the spices followed by chicken breasts, water, coconut milk, potatoes, curry leaves, cinnamon bark and season to taste.
04 Cover and gently bake in a moderate oven until tender for a good hour or so.
Serve:
05 Take to the table hot with plenty of plain boiled rice, garnished with a few fresh curry leaves.

Notes

If you want the sauce to remain thick and creamy try not to boil once the coconut milk is added. If it is possible to find fresh or dried cinnamon leaves substitute these for the curry leaves (traditionally cinnamon leaves should be used).