The Madras curry dish is said to have its origins from the Madras (now Chennai) region of India – however, the term “Madras Curry” itself was invented in British restaurants. It is a fairly hot sauce, red in colour with heavy use of chilli powder. There are many variants of madras, so this is just one alternative.

NOTE: that this is a more authentic dish that comes from Chennai, NOT the type of madras you would get in an English Indian restaurant!

I usually use chicken as the main meat in the madras, but see below for variants.

Ingredients

(for 4 people but I usually eat 2 person’s worth in one go! – can be refrigerated/frozen just fine, and microwaved later)

• 4 chicken breasts, one per person! (See below for variants)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2cm block of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (depends how much garlic you like. I like 3 big cloves!)
• Salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 400g ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 300ml water
• 1 tsp garam masala [see note 1]
• Coriander leaves, to garnish

Add these spices for the “FIRE IN THE BELLY!” This is for pleasantly spicy hot:

• 2-4 red chilies, finely chopped – Don’t need to deseed as this keeps it hot
• 2 tsp ground cumin (kummin)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1-3 tsp (or more!) hot chili powder, to taste – Adding more or less will vary the hotness
• 6-8 curry leaves [see note 2]
• Juice of half a lemon or lime (you can use vinegar here instead, but not both)

Make It So:

1. Cut chicken into strips or (nice chunky) cubes and put aside.
2. Heat the oil and add the onions and cook until they start to soften (about 5-6 mins.)
3. Once the onions have started to brown add the chilies, the garlic and the ginger and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
4. Then add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry leaves chili powder and all the other options you’ve chosen, and leave to cook for a further minute or so.
5. While this is all going on, season the chicken you set aside earlier with the salt and pepper. Then add to the pan and cook stirring the pan until the chicken begins to go golden brown all over. You don’t need to cook the chicken through – you’ll do this later. Just brown the edges a bit.
6. At this stage add the water and the chopped tomatoes and then bring to boil.
7. Once the pan is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pan, stirring every so often. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes and add more water as needed if it begins to stick or the sauce becomes too dry (stir well if you do need to add water.)
8. At the end of the 30 mins, stir in the garam masala and leave uncovered for another 10 mins, again taking care not to let it dry out.

Done! When you’re ready, garnish with coriander leaves (if you want).

Usually best to serve this with Basmati rice and/or naan bread.

Notes

1. Garam Masala is a powdered mixture of spices, which should be sold in bigger superstores. There’s no easy replacement for this, because it’s made of a combination of spices, some of which are impossible to buy in some countries. It’s probably best to find out if you can get your hands on some before thinking of making this dish!
2. Curry leaves can be difficult to find in some countries / areas. You can’t get a perfect replacement, but a good enough would be to use the same measurement but with Bay leaves instead – they’re easier to find in supermarkets.

If You Don’t Like Chicken

Replace the chicken with equivalent amounts of beef, lamb or prawns (shrimp). Beef and lamb may need longer to cook through in point 7, depending on your required doneness. Because I’ve not personally cooked with these meats, keep your eye on them until they’re done to your liking.

Vegetarian?

For a vegetarian option, use this mixture instead of the meat:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 large courgette (zucchini), halved and sliced
• 1 large / 2 medium red peppers (bell peppers / paprika), chopped in similar sizes to the courgette
• Half a bag of pre-washed/chopped spinach