How’s this for curry in a hurry? This Japanese chicken version takes just 20 minutes to cook, so there’s no excuse on a busy weeknight. There are a couple of unexpected ingredients in this one, but trust me – they really do bring a level of sweetness that makes this dinner crazy good and full of flavour.
1 tbsp peanut oil
500g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tbsp curry powder
¾ cup apple juice
1/3 cup ketchup/tomato sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2/3 cup frozen carrots, peas and corn
1 tsp garam masala (or extra curry powder)
spring onion (scallions), thinly sliced, to serve
steamed rice, to serve
Heat the oil in a large, high-sided frying pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt before searing in the pan for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the butter to the pan. When the butter is starting to foam, add the flour. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until the mixture bubbles. Stir in the curry powder. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in 2 cups of water.
Return to medium heat and add the apple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, star anise and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
Add the chicken pieces back into the pan along with the frozen vegetables and garam masala. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the vegetables have warmed through.
Scatter spring onion on top, and serve with steamed rice.
