Delightful Chicken curry
There is something wonderfully comforting about a big pot of chicken curry bubbling away on the stove. It is the kind of food that fills the kitchen with warmth, feeds a family, and somehow tastes even better when everyone is gathered around the table.
This recipe is simple, hearty and very much based on the way I cook at home. It is not about complicated techniques or perfect presentation. It is about putting good food on the table and making the most of what you have.
And, as you will see from the video, I am not claiming to have produced the world's finest cooking film either!
A Simple Chicken Curry
For this curry, I use:
3 large onions
2 tomatoes
Ginger and garlic paste
Spice mix of your choice
Salt, to taste
1 medium chicken, cut into curry-sized pieces
Start by heating the vegetable oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook them until they begin to soften and take on some colour.
Next, add the tomatoes, followed by the ginger and garlic paste. Then add your spice mix and salt. Give everything a good stir and allow those ingredients to cook together, letting the onions, tomatoes and spices create the base for the curry.
Add the chicken pieces and stir everything together so that the chicken is coated in all those lovely flavours.
Then comes the part that I particularly enjoy with a curry like this: cover the pot and let it boil gently.
Let the Chicken Cook Slowly
One of the things I like about cooking chicken on the bone is that you can give it time.
The longer the chicken gently cooks, the more flavour you can draw from the bones and connective tissue. Collagen is released during cooking and contributes to the rich, comforting quality of the finished curry.
This is not a dish that needs to be rushed. Put the lid on, keep an eye on it, and let the chicken slowly cook until it is tender and the flavours have had time to come together.
There is something very satisfying about lifting the lid and seeing a proper homemade curry bubbling away.
Homemade Pitta Breads
While the curry is cooking, I make some simple pitta breads on a hot pan.
There is no need for a fancy oven or specialist equipment. A hot pan is enough to produce lovely homemade flatbreads to serve alongside the curry.
Fresh bread and a hot curry are, in my opinion, a pretty unbeatable combination.
Tear off a piece of pitta, scoop up some curry and enjoy.
It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
I should probably say something about the video itself.
The camera work is not the best, and neither is the presentation. But that's real life.
Sometimes life gets in the way of producing the perfectly staged cooking video with immaculate lighting, beautifully arranged ingredients and everything looking Instagram-ready.
With five kids, I certainly know that life does not always go according to plan!
And perhaps that is actually an important part of the message.
Cooking at home does not have to be perfect. Your kitchen does not have to be spotless, your presentation does not have to look like a restaurant, and every meal does not have to be a masterpiece.
Sometimes you are simply doing your best to get something nourishing on the table for the people you love.
And that is enough.
The Importance of a Balanced Meal
I also think it is important to talk about balance.
A good diet is not about being perfect every single day. It is about building healthy habits over time and trying to include a variety of foods in our meals.
This chicken curry gives us protein, and the onions and tomatoes add vegetables to the dish. Served with homemade pitta, it becomes a satisfying family meal.
You could also add more vegetables alongside it, such as cucumber, salad leaves, roasted vegetables or whatever you have available.
But balanced eating does not mean that we have to feel guilty whenever a meal isn't textbook-perfect.
Especially when you have a busy family life, there will be days when meals are simple, days when there are leftovers, days when you eat something quick, and days when everything comes together beautifully.
We are human beings, not machines.
I have five kids, and I certainly don't get everything right all the time. Some days are organised and other days are complete chaos. The important thing is to keep trying, keep cooking, keep feeding the family, and not beat ourselves up when things aren't perfect.
Food, Family and Real Life
For me, recipes like this are about much more than the ingredients.
They are about feeding your family, sitting down together, sharing food and making memories. They are about the smell of onions and spices filling the kitchen and hearing the children asking when dinner will be ready.
That's what home cooking really means to me.
So, make the curry. Put the chicken on the bone, let it cook slowly, make some pitta on a hot pan and don't worry too much about whether everything looks perfect.
Because sometimes the best meals are the ones made in the middle of real life.
And real life is rarely perfect.
Enjoy your curry, enjoy your pitta, and most importantly, enjoy eating together.