Simple Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1½ tsp Coriander
• 1 tsp Cumin
• ½ tsp Turmeric
• ½ tsp Ground Fennel Seeds
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Black Pepper
• ½ tsp Ginger
• ¼ tsp Mustard
• ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
• Sriracha Sauce
• ¼ cup Butter
• 1 large Onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2-3 cups Chicken Broth
• 2-3 cups Crushed or Puréed Tomatoes
• 1½ lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Method

Bloom the spices in fat before the liquid hits the pan — this is the foundation of the dish. Toast the coriander, cumin, turmeric, fennel, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, mustard, and cloves in a dry pan over medium heat for one minute. You're after fragrance, not colour; the moment the kitchen smells sharp and warm, tip them out. Mince the garlic finely and dice the onion into roughly 1 cm pieces.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the edges turn translucent and the base starts to caramelise — about 5–7 minutes. The browning matters; it's spice-blooming foundation work. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until it loses its raw edge. Now add your toasted spices and stir constantly for 30 seconds. This friction and heat drive the volatile compounds into the fat, building a coherent flavour base rather than a collection of separate tastes. Add a splash of the chicken broth — about 100 ml — and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any sticky caramelised bits. This fond carries concentrated flavour.

Cut the chicken breasts into roughly 3 cm cubes. Pour the remaining broth and the crushed tomatoes into the pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. The liquid should bubble aggressively; the movement helps the spices distribute evenly through the broth-based stew. Add the chicken and a tablespoon of sriracha — adjust the heat at the end, not now. Once everything returns to a boil, drop the heat to a bare simmer (small, lazy bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds) and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer for 25–30 minutes. The chicken is done when a piece flakes apart with a wooden spoon and the broth has thickened slightly, having reduced by about a quarter. Taste and adjust the sriracha and salt now — the acidity from the tomato will have mellowed, and you want heat and seasoning to cut through the richness of the butter and chicken fat. Serve with rice or flatbread to soak the sauce.