Not for the faint hearted, this curry uses 6 different types of chilli. If you dare to go even hotter, substitute the Scotch bonnet with Carolina reapers, bhut jolokia or scorpian chillies. Serve with naan bread and/or rice and don’t forget the plain yoghurt!
Ingredients
2 Scotch bonnet chillies
2 tbsp wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
4 medium or 3 large skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 tsp each of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, small dried hot chillies and fenugreek seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
1 heaped tsp ginger paste (or grated ginger)
1 heaped tsp garlic paste (or grated garlic)
½ tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp hot chilli powder
75ml water
5 green birds-eye chillies (pierced in several places with the tip of a sharp knife)
Salt to taste
Mild green chilli (finely sliced) and coriander leaves to garnish
Method
Ingredients
2 Scotch bonnet chillies
2 tbsp wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
4 medium or 3 large skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 tsp each of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, small dried hot chillies and fenugreek seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
1 heaped tsp ginger paste (or grated ginger)
1 heaped tsp garlic paste (or grated garlic)
½ tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp hot chilli powder
75ml water
5 green birds-eye chillies (pierced in several places with the tip of a sharp knife)
Salt to taste
Mild green chilli (finely sliced) and coriander leaves to garnish
Method
- Finely chop the Scotch bonnet chillies and place in a large bowl (include the seeds). Mix in the vinegar and water.
- Add the chicken thighs, turning to coat them on all sides. Cover and leave to marinate for at least two hours (or overnight).
- Toast the whole spices in a dry non-stick pan until they release their aroma. This takes less than a minute. Grind the toasted spices to a powder and set aside.
- Heat the oil to a pan large enough to contain the chicken. Add the chopped onion and fry gently until golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic and continue cooking for a few minutes.
- Add the ground toasted spices, tomatoes and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. At this stage you can purée the sauce, if you wish (I used a stick blender directly in the pan).
- Add the chicken thighs plus their marinade and the whole green birds-eye chillies to the sauce.
- Simmer gently for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add salt to taste.
- To serve, garnish with the sliced mild green chillies and coriander leaves and some plain yoghurt on the side.
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