Mrs Goa's Vinegar Chicken Curry

This is a medium and very tangy curry using our Cochin curry and a good pinch of nutmeg. Mrs Goa was the Anderson family's housekeeper in Singapore but actually came from Goa! Add fresh chillies if you want it hot, and add the sugar to taste. Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

• 1 carton South Indian Cochin Curry spice mix

• 2 tbsp oil

• 700g chicken cut into bite-sized pieces

• large pinch nutmeg (don't rush out and buy it if you don't have any!)

• 300 ml 'secret sauce'

• 300 ml water

• 1 stalk lemongrass, bashed

• 4 tbsp white vinegar (coconut, palm sugar or even malt, NOT wine)

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 250g small new potatoes, cooked and cut into chunks

• about 10 fresh curry leaves, if available

Recipe:

1. Mix together the spices (including the nutmeg) and oil and use to coat the chicken. Leave to marinate for a few hours.

2. Heat a large pan or wok and add the chicken. Fry gently for a couple of minutes.

3. Add the 'secret sauce', water, lemongrass and vinegar, bring to the boil then simmer for at least an hour. Unlike most of our chicken recipes, we want the meat to be falling apart.

4. Add sugar to taste, starting with about a teaspoon.

5. Shortly before serving add the potatoes and curry leaves.

6. Stir in some fresh coriander and serve with rice.

Cook’s notes

• This actually benefits from being cooked the day before, up to point 4, as the sauce will thicken up slightly. Don’t worry if not, as the sauce is meant to be quite thin but tangy!