Red Chicken Curry with Almonds and Yogurt

An aromatic red chicken curry with a wonderfully creamy tomato sauce, fragrant spices, and ground Sicilian almonds. Fresh ginger, garlic, cumin, and garam masala give the dish a pleasantly spicy depth, while yogurt and almonds make the sauce particularly velvety. It pairs well with fresh naan bread, basmati rice, and a dollop of yogurt.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crete
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 piece of ginger (approx. 6 cm), peeled and grated
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 red chili peppers (roughly sliced)
  or 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Havsnø Sea Salt Flakes to taste
• 400 g passata
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 4 tbsp yogurt (10% fat), plus extra for serving
• Approx. 800 g chicken breast fillet, cut into pieces
• 3 tbsp Pizzuta d'Avola Almonds from Sicily, coarsely ground
• 1 tsp garam masala
• A little lime juice to taste (optional)

For serving

• Fresh naan bread or basmati rice
• Small bowl of yogurt (10% fat)

Preparation

1. Sauté the spices and onions: Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, deep pan. Add the cumin seeds and toast for about 1 minute over medium heat. Then add the onions and sauté for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
2. Make the spice paste: Meanwhile, crush the ginger, garlic, and chili peppers into a coarse paste with a pinch of salt in a mortar. Alternatively, use cayenne pepper.
3. Prepare the tomato sauce: Add the spice paste to the onions and roast for about 2 minutes. Stir in the passata and let it simmer gently for a few minutes. Then add the tomato paste, ground cumin, turmeric, and about ½ tsp salt.
4. Stir in the yogurt: Whisk the yogurt with a fork and gradually pour it into the sauce over low heat, then bring it gently to a boil.
5. Cook the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the sauce, cover with a lid, and simmer gently over low heat for about 15 minutes.
6. Finish the curry: Stir in the ground almonds and garam masala, then simmer for another 5 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Season to taste with a little lime juice and salt.
7. Serve: Arrange the red chicken curry with warm naan bread or fragrant basmati rice. Serve with a little yogurt.

Enjoy this aromatic chicken curry!