Panch Phoron Chicken Curry

Name: Panch Phoron Chicken Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: One Pot, Date Night, Year Round, Indian, Comfort Food, Family Meals, Savory, Spicy, Creamy, Dinner, Simmered
Ingredients: 750 g chicken (mix of breast and thigh fillets); 400 g chopped tomatoes; 1 large onion (chopped); 1 tbsp tomato puree; 20 g ginger (grated); 5 large cloves garlic (crushed); 1 green finger chilli (finely chopped); 2 tsp panch phoron; 0.5 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 30 g butter; 1 tbsp double cream / heavy cream; 300 ml water; 0.5 tsp salt; to serve fresh coriander / cilantro (optional); 1 lime; 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp salt

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Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

From Craig Humphreys's locker

Tender marinated chicken pieces in a spicy, aromatic sauce made with authentic South Asian flavours.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

750 gchicken (mix of breast and thigh fillets)

400 gchopped tomatoes

1large onion (chopped)

1 tbsptomato puree

20 gginger (grated)

5 large clovesgarlic (crushed)

1green finger chilli (finely chopped)

2 tsppanch phoron

½ tspturmeric

1 tspground cumin

1 tspground coriander

30 gbutter

1 tbspdouble cream / heavy cream

300 mlwater

½ tspsalt

to servefresh coriander / cilantro (optional)

For the Marinade

1lime

1 tspkashmiri chilli powder

1 tspturmeric

1 tspsalt

Method Nutrition Variations

Method

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces (keep them fairly large) and add to a bowl along with the turmeric, chilli powder, 1 tsp of salt and the juice of 1 lime. Mix everything together, and leave to marinade in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Melt the butter in a large pan, then add the panch pharon and fry for a minute until fragrant, then stir in the onion and cook for around 10 minutes until nice a browned.

Add the garlic, fresh green chilli and ginger and cook for a minute, then stir in the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and 1/2 tsp of salt, and cook for a further 30 seconds.

Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree/paste to the pan along with 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) of water and bring to the boil.

Stir the chicken into the pan, making sure to coat it in the sauce, and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened.

When everything is ready stir in a little double cream (about 1 tbsp) and serve with rice or indian flatbreads and a little fresh coriander for garnish if using.

About this Punch Phoron Curry

This curry is based around the Bengali spice mix panch phoron (or punch puran); literally meaning "five spice", which is a mix of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and fennel seeds. For this dish I opted to go for a creamy, almost butter chicken style curry, which starts with marinading the chicken in turmeric, lime and chilli powder for an hour or more to allow the flavours to penetrate the meat (feel free to prick the chicken before marinading the chicken if you like), then creating a simple tomato based sauce and letting the chicken simmer for around 25 minutes.

It's important when using non-ground spices, like those in punch pharon that you add them to the pan first, allowing them to become fragrant which adds a really nice depth of flavour. Then it's a matter of browning the onions; in Indian cooking you want to make sure the onions brown really well (but don't burn them). Turmeric - another common flavour in Bengali cuisine - should only be cooked for a 30 seconds or so, just before adding the tomatoes and water; frying for too long can make turmeric taste bitter.

I like to rest my curry for 5 minutes or so before serving with rice and chapatis; you could also sprinkle over a 1 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves (methi) if you're not a fan of coriander / cilantro.

FAQ

What is Panch Phoron?

Panch phoron (or panch puran) literally means "five spice" in Bengali and is often referred to as "Bengali five spice". It is a mixture of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and fennel seeds which add a unique depth and warmth to curry dishes. If you can't find it in store it should be available from online retailers.

What are finger chillis?

Here in the UK finger chillis are commonly found in supermarkets, they are long, thin and are considered a moderately hot chilli. If you're struggling to find them you can use birds eye or Thai green chillis instead, although both are hotter than finger chillis, so adjust to taste. If all else fails this dish will still taste great with 1-2 tsp of chilli powder.

What can I use instead of Kashmiri chilli powder?

Kashmiri chilli powder is a mild chilli powder, if you don't have any then you can substitute it directly for chilli flakes. If you're using a hotter chilli powder (such as cayenne) you should reduce the quantity to 1/2 tsp.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of a mix of breast and thigh fillets?

Yes, I like the mix of thigh fillets (or boneless, skinless chicken thighs) but this works just as well with just chicken breasts, so use those if you prefer.

Can I use lemon instead of lime?

Yes, lemon will work great! The main aim is to provide a bit of acidity which helps tenderise the chicken and add a bit of brightness, the liquid also helps distribute the spices. Lemon and lime do add slightly different citrus notes, however, in dishes like this the difference will be quite subtle.

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