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Laal curries (the name means red) originate in Rajasthan, India and are fiery red curries of chicken and potatoes. I have a couple of recipes on this site, but this is a British Indian Restaurant (BIR) interpretation of the dish.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
¾ tsp Black Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Nigella (Kalonji) seeds
75g Onion, cut into fine slivers
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 tsp curry mix powder
1 tsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder (or to taste)
½-2 tsp Chilli Powder (or to your taste)
2½ tbsp sweet Paprika
¾ tsp Smoked Paprika (optional)
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp freshly-ground Black Pepper
350ml (about) base curry sauce
4-5 tbsp tomato paste
175-200g Chicken (Raw or Pre-cooked)
8 parboiled potato quarters (cook for about 15 minutes) then drain
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice (bottled will suffice)
2 tbsp Yoghurt (optional)
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander leaves, finely chopped
Sliced Green Chillies for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Place a pan or wok over medium-high heat and when hot add the oil. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and nigella seeds.
Stir-fry for 20 seconds then add the onion and fry for a few minutes, stirring from time to time, until the onion starts to colour on the edges.

At this point add the ginger/garlic paste and continue to cook for a further 45-60 secs until the raw smell has gone.

Scatter over the mix powder, kasuri methi, chilli powders, paprika, salt, add a splash of water and stir to combine. Also add the smoked paprika at this point. Cook, stirring constantly, constantly for 20-30 seconds, adding a splash of base gravy (e.g., 2 tbsp) during that time to help cook the spices without burning them.

Add the tomato paste and the chicken, stirring ti coat the chicken well with the sauce, then allow to cook for a short while until you see the oil float to the surface, and small, dry craters start appearing around the edges of the pan.

Add the parboiled potatoes along with 5 tbsp of base gravy then stir and scrape everything together. Leave to fry for a while until the sauce reduces a little and you see small dry pits form around the edges of the pan.

Add a second 5 tbsp of base gravy, stir and scrape together, and again leave to cook as in the previous stage. Now add the remaining base gravy along with the lemon juice. Stir and scrape the sides and base of the pan once when first added. Leave to cook over high heat for 4-5 minutes with minimal interference. Allow the sauce to stick and caramelise on the sides and surface of the pan. Stir and scrape the curry together only to prevent burning.

Add the coriander. You can add extra base gravy at this point, to adjust the consistency to your liking. Stir and cook for a further 30 seconds. Taste, and if desired add extra lemon juice and/or salt.

Make sure the chicken is fully cooked before serving.

Serve topped with a dollop of yoghurt (optional), a sprinkle of paprika, fresh coriander, and optionally some sliced green chillies.

Find more BIR recipes on the FabulousFusionFood British Indian Restaurant (BIR) recipes page.