I filmed one of my television shows in South Africa with Pat Maistrey, the chef at the Zimbali Lodge. He took me on a tour of the spice market in Durban, where we selected our ingredients, and we returned to his kitchen totally inspired and prepared this dish together. I make many different curries, and this is one of my favorites. It’s easy, fun, and trouble­-­free—not to mention utterly delicious. This is a medium­-­spicy curry; you can increase or decrease the heat by adjusting the quantity of chili powder according to ­taste.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive ­oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely ­chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, ­crushed
• 4 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ­ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ­cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Garam Masala
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 3/4 tablespoon chili powder or cayenne pepper (or less if you prefer a milder ­curry)
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 3 large tomatoes, ­cubed
• 2/3 cup tomato ­paste
• 1 chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), skin removed, back removed, and cut into 8 pieces
• 2 chicken breasts, skin removed, bone in, halved crosswise
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to ­taste
• 1 1/2 cups peas (fresh or ­frozen; if fresh, parboil for 5 minutes in advance)
• 20 whole fresh curry leaves (if ­available)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ­cilantro

Instructions

1. Place the oil in a large cast­-­iron pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is transparent. Stir in the cumin, garam masala, coriander, chili powder, and turmeric, and sauté for another 2 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes, then add 1 cup of water (see Note). Add the chicken, cover the pan again, reduce the heat to medium­-­low, and simmer for 25 minutes. Season to taste with ­salt.

3. Add the peas, curry leaves, and cilantro. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the peas are cooked. Serve with ­rice.

Note: If the sauce needs thickening, dissolve a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch in about 1/4 cup warm water, then stir some of the mixture into the curry. Continue to stir in small amounts of the dissolved cornstarch until the sauce reaches your desired thickness, being careful to allow each successive addition to react with the liquid before adding more; you don’t want to end up with an overly thick and glue­-­like sauce. If you’d like to add even more substance to this stew, add two or three medium potatoes, cut into small cubes, when you add the peas.

Other Poultry Recipes

Bastilla
Breast of Duck with a Grape Sauce
Chicken and the Forty Cloves
Chicken Cooked Under Pressure
Chicken Couscous
Chicken Fricassee
Chicken Grand-Mere
Colin's Roasted Turkey
Foie Gras
Gertie's Famous Chicken
Grilled Chicken
Jalapeño Ginger Chicken
Pappardelle with Grilled Chicken
Peri-Peri Chicken
Poached Rolled Chicken
Spicy Portuguese Chicken Livers
Stuffed Breast of Turkey
Stuffed Cornish Game Hens
Tagine of Chicken
Turkey Chili
Mandarin Chicken Skewers
Chicken Provecal

Tip

Key Indian Ingredients and Terms