Delicious Rainy Day Roast Chicken Curry

This curry takes many forms and most of the time, whatever vegetables are in the fridge get thrown into the the curry. Roasting the chicken makes a big difference to the sauce and using the whole chicken as opposed to just the breasts makes for an extra tasty curry. The chicken can even be roasted the night before. Although time consuming, this method is worth it. This recipe feeds six to seven people.

For the Roast Chicken

1 Whole Chicken,

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

2-3 tbsp. water

1 tsp. Turmeric,

1 tbsp. Honey

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Dried Coriander

1 tbsp. Sharwoods Curry Powder

Pinch of Chilli Powder

1 Clementine/ ½ Orange/1 lemon

For the Curry Sauce

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 large red or white onions diced

1 stick of celery

4-5 Cardamom Pods

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Turmeric,

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Dried Coriander

2 tbsp. Sharwood’s Curry Powder Medium/Hot

Pinch of Chilli Powder

2 x 400 gram cans of chopped tomatoes

Fresh spinach

One red pepper sliced thinly

One courgette diced

6 Mushrooms

Pepper Salt

The Roast Chicken

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together ­­­­the olive oil, water, turmeric, honey, cumin, coriander, curry powder and chilli powder and set aside. After washing, place the whole chicken onto a tray that has been lined with tin foil.

• Gently separate the skin from the breast using your fingers taking care to not tear the skin. With a spoon, place half of the mixture underneath the skin of both chicken breasts. Use the other half of the mixture to cover the chicken, massaging into the skin.  Cut the clementine in half and place in the cavity.

• Put the chicken in the oven for 1 ½-2 hours depending on size. 

• When cooked, allow chicken to cool. Some of the juices from the tray can be added to the curry sauce. (When cool, begin to remove the roast chicken from the bone and place it on a plate until ready to use.)

The Sauce

• Place the olive oil into a large saucepan one a low heat, adding the celery and onions and fry until they are transparent. At this stage add the garlic along with the spices (turmeric, cinnamon, crushed cardamom pods, cumin, coriander, pepper and Sharwood’s curry powder. Add the chopped tomatoes at this stage and allow to simmer for 25 minutes on an extremely low heat. If you have kept some of the juices from the roast chicken add them to the bubbling mixture.

• After 25 minutes add the other vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, courgettes) and simmer for a further 15 minutes before adding the chicken you have set aside to the sauce. Add one bag of fresh or frozen spinach to the curry and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Serve with rice and top with a spoonful of crème fraiche or natural yoghurt and some chopped fresh coriander.