r/Curry

BIR style, made with a cheat base gravy inc. carrot and coriander soup/spices/veg, loosely based on a Misty Ricardo recipe but freestyled after a few Henry Westons

At many restaurants, they will have a pot of something cooking on a back burner to feed the staff. Sometimes, they will even let you try some. As the title suggests, it is often referred to as 'the staff curry'. That was how I got hold of a basic recipe about 12 years ago - I asked, and they told me what was in it.

It seems odd that it includes peas, but those were definitely in the one I sampled at that restaurant the first time.

For the chicken, I used a mixture of skinless 'niblets' (aka drumettes, which many Asian butchers sell) and skinless thigh.

I made one this afternoon. Here's the recipe:

• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tbsp Rapeseed/Canola Oil
• 3 Indian Bay Leaves
• 6 Green Cardamoms
• 2-inch piece of Cassia
• 1 Star Anise
• 4 Cloves
• 3 Onions (blended)
• 2 tbsp Garlic/Ginger Paste
• 1½ tbsp Coriander powder
• 1 tbsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Basaar
• 750g Chicken on the bone
• 5 Green Chilis (sliced lengthways)
• 250mls Chicken Stock
• 3 Tomatoes (blended)
• 1-2 tbsp Kasuri Methi
• Frozen Peas to taste

Heat the oil, and sizzle the bay leaves, cardamoms, Cassia, star anise, and cloves for 30 seconds. Then add the onions, and cook for about 8 minutes until becoming golden, stirring to make sure it doesn't catch. Then add the garlic/ginger paste and cook for a minute to become fragrant.

Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili, turmeric, and basaar. It will catch easily now, so use splashes of hot water to prevent it burning. Stir for a few minutes to cook out the spices.

Add the chicken and green chilis, and stir until the chicken is white all over. Add more splashes of water, as it will easily catch.

Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes, stir, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes. I did mine in the oven to prevent catching.

Near the end, crumble in the Kasuri Methi between your palms and stir in.

When it is done, add the frozen peas to taste. My written recipe also includes potatoes, but I hadn't used them in this one so doubled up on the peas. Allow them to thaw out on a gentle simmer (about 5 minutes), then stir through some chopped coriander.