Chicken and okra curry with roti - Indian recipes

Chicken and okra curry with roti

Try this quick chicken curry recipe that’s bulked out with okra. Add a special touch with home-made roti on the side.

Ingredients

For the roti

• 300g/11oz plain flour

• 150ml/5floz water

For the curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

• 8 curry leaves

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1cm strips

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped

• 2 green chillies, finely chopped

• 1 tsp ground fenugreek

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• ½ tsp salt

• 400g/14oz okra, trimmed, sliced diagonally into 2cm/1in pieces

• 1 x 400g/14oz tinned tomatoes

For the pickled okra

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp mustard seeds

• ½ tsp chilli flakes

• ½ tsp salt

• 250g/14oz okra, trimmed, thinly sliced

• 4 tbsp caster sugar

• 125ml/4½fl oz malt vinegar

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. For the roti, place the flour into a bowl and gradually add the water, beating well to form a firm dough.

2. Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Cover the dough with cling film and set aside to rest for two hours.

3. For the curry, heat the oil in a wok until hot. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and fry until they pop. Add the chicken pieces and cook for2-3 minutes, or until browned all over.

4. Add the onion and fry for a further two minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for another minute. Add the fenugreek, cumin and turmeric and fry for 30 seconds.

5. Stir in the salt and okra, then add the tinned tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

6. Meanwhile for pickled okra, heat a frying pan until hot, then add the vegetable oil, shallot, mustard seeds and chilli flakes and stir-fry for one minute.

7. Add the okra and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the sugar and vinegar and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper.

8. Tear off walnut-sized chunks of dough and roll them out thinly to a diameter of 12.5cm/5in.

9. Heat a frying pan until very hot and fry the dough for 1-2 minutes on each side (or until bubbles appear on the surface).

10. Remove the roti from the pan with a pair of tongs and carefully hold it over a gas flame until puffed up.

11. Repeat with the remaining dough.

12. To serve, spoon the curry onto the plate with some pickle alongside. Serve with the roti.