Chicken, chilli and pomegranate curry
Sweet, sticky and kicky!
Filed under ‘curry’ but just as easily a stew or tagine, I’ve been making this chicken, chilli and pomegranate dish for weekday dinners and Saturday night guests alike for years. Inspired by something we sampled at a cafe in Marrakesh, it’s a satisfyingly sweet and spicy crowd-pleaser, plus pretty low on labour. I’m confident it’ll make it onto your list of go-to dishes, whatever the occasion (or no occasion!) too.
Serves 4
6-8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, grated
2 red chillis, 1 finely chopped, 1 thinly sliced
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
400ml chopped tomates
4 large tomatoes, quartered
5 tbsp pomegranate molasses
250ml pomegranate juice
Handful pomegranate seeds
A dollop of yoghurt
A little fresh mint
Pour a generous glug of olive oil into a large casserole dish and let it warm over a medium heat while you rub the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and chilli powder. Brown the chicken all over (it should take 6 or 7 minutes), then remove and set aside on a plate.
Throw the onion into the same casserole dish with a little more oil and give them a good stir to pick up all the residual flavour from the chicken and spices. Turn the heat down a smidge and cook for 15-20 minutes until the onions are soft, stirring every so often to ensure they don’t catch. Then add the tomato quarters, garlic, chopped chilli and coriander, stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, molasses and pomegranate juice, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
Now it’s time to add the chicken back into the casserole dish, along with any juices, stir and pop the lid on. Lower the heat and simmer for around half an hour, checking every so often that nothing is sticking. You want the chicken to be cooked through and the sauce to be thick and sticky.
Serve with fluffy white rice or flatbreads (or both!), lashings of cold yoghurt and a generous scattering of pomegranate seeds, sliced red chilli and fresh mint.
Let me know if you try this recipe!