Kesar mango and chicken curry
Sweet mangoes are mashed and cooked with a spice mix to make the base for this simple-to-make Kesar mango and chicken curry.
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 4 tsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
- freshly cooked rice, to serve
For the curry base
- 4 tsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds (or yellow mustard seeds)
- 8–10 curry leaves
- 10g/â…“oz fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes or chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 Kesar mangoes, peeled, diced and mashed (keep the stones)
- 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
Method
Place the chicken strips in a large bowl, add the turmeric, salt, chilli, lemon juice and oil and mix well. Cover and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place the marinated chicken strips on a baking tray and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
To make the curry base, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to sizzle, add the curry leaves, ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chilli, ground coriander and pepper, stir, then immediately add the mashed mangoes, along with their stones, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and 300ml/½ pint water and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken, stir, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before removing the mango stones. Serve with freshly cooked rice.
Recipe Tips
Kesar mangoes are known for their bright orange flesh and relatively short season. They are found in shops from April to May each year. Out of season, you can buy the pulp in tins.