AT HOME WITH GARTH

 Garth Stroebel, one of a small band of South Africa's leading chefs, both respected and admired throughout the industry, takes us on a culinary journey and introduces us to Chicken and Prawn Curry prepared with his inimitable touch!

CHICKEN AND PRAWN CURRY

"Chicken is the perfect choice for a variety of Cape Malay recipes," says Garth. "We have a heritage of spices and seasonings that bring in intriguing undertones to delicately spiced dishes and finally judged heat to curries."

25 ml canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
10 ml finely chopped fresh root ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
10 ml chopped dried chillies
10 ml cardamom seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
2 star anise
2 x 375 ml cans coconut milk
6 skinless chicken breast fillets, cubed
6 courgettes (baby marrows), chopped
50 g bamboo shoots, sliced
4 spring onions, chopped
8 button mushrooms, quartered
24 medium prawns
150 g cooked rice
125 ml coconut shavings
125 ml fresh coriander leaves
to garnish

Masala paste:
45 ml masala powder
15 ml tomato paste
25 ml canola or vegetable oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon
Cape fruit chutney
125 g dried apricots, cut into strips
250 g seedless raisins
1.5 litres brown vinegar
250 g brown sugar
15 ml salt
2 large onions, finely chopped
30 ml coriander seeds, pounded and sifted
10 ml mustard seeds, pounded
½ handful red chillies, pounded (see Chef’s note below)
(Serves 4))

For the chutney: Soak the apricots and raisins overnight in the vinegar. When ready to cook, place the raisins, apricots and vinegar mixture into a saucepan along with the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Cook until the‑mixture is thick and drips slowly off the spoon. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal.

For the masala paste: Heat the masala powder in a hot pan to release the aromatic flavours. Remove from the heat, then add the tomato paste and the oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until a paste is formed.

For the curry: Heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic, chillies, cardamom, cinnamon and star anise until the onion is translucent. Add the masala paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour the coconut milk into the pan and allow the mixture to boil rapidly, stirring continuously to avoid splitting. Add the cubed chicken and all the vegetables to the pan and simmer until the chicken is -tender (about 10 minutes). Add the prawns and, as soon as the liquid starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat.

For the final presentation: Press the rice into four buttered ramekins and turn out into bowl plates. Divide the chicken and prawn curry into four equal servings and garnish with the shaved coconut and coriander leaves. Serve with the Cape fruit chutney.

Chef’s note: This is a hot chutney. If you prefer it less spicy, add fewer chillies.