nut curry

I know I shouldn't jot these thoughts down without a proper reference to the source - however, if finger does not hit key right now it will go the same way as the almond madeleines (gorgeous, by the way, just gorgeous... what a pity I don't remember the recipe I invented!).

Last night I made a curry from scratch. It is fairly labour-intensive on the preparation, but once cooking I could clean up the kitchen and catch up on the news. I was really surprised at how decently it turned out, too. It looked creamy and nutty but actually had a nice, fresh taste and a spicy pinch to the lips. I needed something to lift me from being out-of-sorts, and I found it.

In a lightly oiled pan, fry until they pop: 1 tsp coriander seeds, 2 cloves and a few black peppercorns. Tip these onto:
30g fresh ginger chopped, 2 chopped cloves garlic, 1 green chilli, 80g ground almonds, 125 ml water, 1 tsp turmeric.
... and whizz with a blender into a bright ochre paste.

Brown chicken pieces (I like thighs the best) then set them aside. Add two medium onions, sliced, to an oily saucepan until coloured. Return the chicken to the pan and add the paste and 225 ml water. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add 125 ml natural yogurt and heat through.

Serve with cardamon rice, and the following scattered over the top: fresh coriander, one green chilli sliced finely, and toasted almonds. The recipe intends it to be cashew nuts, however I only had almonds to hand and didn't regret the switch.

Just... don't rub your eyes after chopping chillies!