South African Chicken Curry

If you think a curry is a curry is a curry, how different can it be… think again. You are in for a surprise!! This South African Chicken Curry doesn’t even come close to anything you’ve known before.

It’s a completely different flavor, yet so delectable! This one is mild and sweet, albeit with loads of curry powder, reminding you of that curry flavor every single bite. Read on…

This recipe was given to my in-laws by a South African friend, back when they lived on their sailboat and my husband was just a little boy. So it’s been in the family for a long time!

This was Jason’s only definition of curry all those years before he met me, and he had a bomb when he first tried some of my Indian curries. Mind you, this curry tastes nothing like my Indian dishes, and yet I loved it from very first time I tried it.

I loved that fruity sweetness mixed into the chicken along with those distinctive curry powder flavors. If you are looking for yet another way to cook your chicken, this is it my friends. Give it a try!

What is South African Chicken Curry?

Africa… that mother of all lands, comprises of so many cultural, ethnic and religious groups that over the years culminated into so many different cuisines. The South Africans, besides loving their Braai (Barbecue), one definitive dish they love and prepare is their curries. And looking at this vast continent, you can figure that there are as many curries as there are cultural groups living in this land.

You might have heard of Cape Malay curry, which originated with the slaves from Ceylon, Indonesia, Java and Madagascar, and their descendants. That variation has spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and chili. Durban curries have more Indian influence and are more spicy and fiery. Many others use curry powder.

Curry powder is a British construct, invented during British rule in India around 1784. At one point, the key ingredients were fenugreek and turmeric to mimic the spices in an Indian masala mix, which is usually made from scratch by Indian cooks.

This curry powder was a big hit in South Africa. You will find this in most of their curries. But to make it a little milder for those Dutch and British palates, they added sweet notes with some kind of fruit chutney or preserve.

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Ingredients Needed

• Chicken – I use bone-in thighs. A cut up whole chicken works as well.
• Curry Powder – My main flavoring.
• Mustard and Vinegar – For zest and tang.
• Black Pepper – Plenty of it.
• Apricot preserves and brown sugar – For sweetness and balance.
• Onions and Garlic – The standards.
• Green bell peppers and lots of mushrooms – For the veggie power.

How to make this curry in easy steps:

It’s pretty simple, as most of the time your curry will be braising and bubbling, and you can do some other stuff or just put your feet up and relax…

I start by cutting my veggies and chopping the garlic. For this curry, I prefer big chunks of mushrooms and peppers. It adds a nice texture and flavor to the dish.

In a bowl, I mix flour, pepper, brown sugar and curry powder. This is your dry mixture.

In another bowl, I mix apricot preserves with vinegar, mustard and some water. I blend nicely. This is your wet mixture.

I heat oil in a large skillet or pan, and I love using my wide electric skillet for this recipe. Then, I pan fry the chicken with salt and pepper until both sides have a nice color. Once it’s done, I remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.

I start the curry by sautéing my onions, peppers, and garlic in the skillet for a few minutes until they’re fragrant and starting to soften. Then, I add the chicken back into the skillet and coat it along with the veggies with my dry mixture of spices. After that, I mix in my wet mixture, stirring everything together for a few minutes.

Finally, I simmer it all on low to medium heat until the chicken is tender and practically falling off the bone. This slow cooking process allows all the flavors to meld together beautifully, creating a delicious and comforting curry. Simple… easy peasy, isn’t it?

All this can be done in an hour or so. The more you simmer the more delish it becomes when the chicken is so tender it melts in your mouth. I suggest you use bone in thighs, my usual whenever there is a stew or curry kind of thing happening in my kitchen.

Tips

1. Get a Nice Sear: When pan-frying the chicken, I aim for a nice golden color on both sides. This helps seal in the juices and adds flavor to the curry.
2. Coat Everything Well: I make sure that both the chicken and veggies are evenly coated with the dry spice mixture before adding the wet mixture.
3. Simmer for Tender Chicken: Once everything is combined, I simmer the curry on low to medium heat until the chicken is tender and practically falling off the bone. This slow cooking process allows the flavors to develop and the chicken to become incredibly tender.
4. Serve with Your Favorite Accompaniments: This curry pairs well with rice, naan, or crusty bread.

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South African Chicken Curry, on our Gypsy Plate… Enjoy!!!

Try some of our other curries!
Chicken Masala
Japanese Beef Curry
Trinidadian Curry Chicken
Indian Chicken Curry
Australian Curried Sausages
Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Pork Vindaloo

South African Chicken Curry

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

A milder and sweeter alternative to Indian and Caribbean curries, this South African Chicken Curry is still jam packed with flavor!

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Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp black pepper powder
• ½ cup apricot jam
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 Tbsp mustard
• 1.5 cup water
• 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 8oz mushrooms, halved
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Mix curry powder, flour, brown sugar and black pepper in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, mix apricot jam with vinegar, mustard and water and
   stir together until nicely combined.
3. Heat oil in an wide bottom pan. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken, add to heated oil and brown on both sides. Remove to plate and set aside.
4. In the same pan, sauté onion rings until translucent, then add garlic
   and stir for a few seconds. Be sure to scrape up the good brown things left from the
   chicken, this imparts nice flavors to your curry. Add mushrooms and peppers, stir for few minutes.
5. Return chicken thighs to pan. Mix in your powder blend. Coat the chicken and veggies well with the powder.
6. Add your apricot preserve blend and stir it for few minutes. Cover and simmer until chicken is done, occasionally checking and stirring. Add more water if necessary or according to your desired consistency.
7. Serve it over a plate of hot rice.

Notes

1. Leftovers: As with most curries and stews, this dish makes wonderful leftovers. The flavors are enhanced when refrigerated overnight. Just store in a covered container, stick it in the fridge and eat withing three days.
2. It also freezes very well. Cook a huge batch and you are set for a few meals. So if you are in a pinch and say "oh no, what's for dinner?" you can just thaw some leftovers and cook up some fresh rice. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. This is also a great kid friendly meal, as its sweet notes appeal to their palate and would be their next in-demand meal.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 460Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 166mgSodium 272mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 3gSugar 17gProtein 32g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Be sure to check out my roundup of the world’s 40 BEST Curry Recipes!

Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.