South African Cape Malay Chicken Curry

Name: South African Cape Malay Chicken Curry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, about 8 thighs, patted very dry; 2 tsp (12 g) fine salt, divided: 1 tsp for the chicken, 1 tsp for the sauce; 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil (sunflower or canola), divided: 2 tbsp for browning, 1 tbsp for the onions; 2 large (about 14 oz) (400 g) yellow onions, finely chopped; 1 3-inch stick (3 g) cinnamon stick, whole; 4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the flat of a knife; 4 whole (1 g) whole cloves, whole; 2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, whole, dried; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely minced; 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 3 tbsp (21 g) medium curry powder (Cape Malay style if available); 1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric; 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin; 3 medium (about 14 oz) (400 g) ripe tomatoes, chopped into ½-inch pieces, juices included; 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste; 3 tbsp (60 g) apricot jam; 1 tbsp (15 ml) white vinegar; 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or water, hot or room temperature; 1¼ lb (570 g) waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A gently spiced, slightly sweet one-pot chicken curry in the Cape Malay style: bone-in thighs and potatoes simmered in a tomato-onion sauce with warm spices and a spoonful of apricot jam for fruity depth.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Makes: 6 generous servings (about 1–2 thighs each plus potatoes)

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Ingredients

6 servings

3 lb (1360 g) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, about 8 thighs, patted very dry
2 tsp (12 g) fine salt, divided: 1 tsp for the chicken, 1 tsp for the sauce
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil (sunflower or canola), divided: 2 tbsp for browning, 1 tbsp for the onions
2 large (about 14 oz) (400 g) yellow onions, finely chopped
1 3-inch stick (3 g) cinnamon stick, whole
4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the flat of a knife
4 whole (1 g) whole cloves, whole
2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, whole, dried
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 tbsp (21 g) medium curry powder (Cape Malay style if available)
1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric
1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
3 medium (about 14 oz) (400 g) ripe tomatoes, chopped into ½-inch pieces, juices included
1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
3 tbsp (60 g) apricot jam
1 tbsp (15 ml) white vinegar
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or water, hot or room temperature
1¼ lb (570 g) waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Equipment (5)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) wide heavy-bottomed pot or casserole with lid
Chef's knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer
Microplane or fine grater for ginger

Steps

Before you start

Pat the chicken dry and let it sit at room temperature while you chop; dry chicken browns far better than wet chicken.
This curry is warmly spiced and mild-to-medium, not fiery. For more heat, add 1 finely chopped red chili with the garlic.
Cut the potatoes into large 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks so they hold their shape during simmering.
Everything cooks on the stovetop; no oven is needed. Have steamed rice, roti, or a simple sambal (grated carrot or tomato-onion salad) ready to serve alongside.

1
Season the chicken
- Pat the 8 chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle all over with 1 tsp of the salt and set aside while you chop the onions and tomatoes, peel and cut the potatoes, and mince the garlic and ginger.
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Ready when: Chicken surface looks dry and evenly salted.
Tip: Put the cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water so they don't brown; drain before using.
2
Brown the chicken
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in the pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add 4 thighs in a single layer and cook without moving for 4 minutes, then turn and cook 3 minutes more.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 4 thighs.
- Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of fat if there is excess.
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Ready when: Thighs are golden brown on both sides; they will not be cooked through yet.
Tip: Don't crowd the pot or the chicken will steam instead of brown.
3
Soften the onions
- Reduce heat to medium.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil (if you left about 1 tbsp fat in the pot, add only 2 tsp), then the cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves, and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Onions are soft, translucent, and golden at the edges.
Tip: If the onions start to scorch, add 2 tbsp water and lower the heat.
4
Bloom garlic and spices
- Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, and cumin.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
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Ready when: The mixture smells toasty and fragrant and looks like a thick, dark paste.
Tip: Ground spices burn quickly; add a splash of water if the pot looks dry.
5
Build the sauce
- Add the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, apricot jam, vinegar, and the remaining 1 tsp salt.
- Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring and mashing the tomatoes with the spoon, for 6 minutes.
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Ready when: Tomatoes have broken down into a thick, jammy sauce with oil starting to separate at the edges.
6
Simmer the chicken
- Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pot, nestling the thighs into the sauce.
- Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, turning the thighs once halfway.
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Ready when: Sauce is bubbling gently (not boiling hard) and the chicken is mostly opaque.
Tip: A hard boil makes chicken tough and the sauce too thin to cling later.
7
Add the potatoes
- Drain the potatoes and tuck them into the sauce, pressing them down so they are partly submerged.
- Cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes, stirring gently once or twice.
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Ready when: A knife slides into the largest potato chunk with no resistance.
Tip: Stir gently so the potatoes don't break apart.
8
Thicken the sauce
- Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium, and simmer for 5–8 minutes, stirring gently, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- For a creamier body, mash 2–3 potato chunks against the side of the pot.
- Check a thigh with an instant-read thermometer inserted next to the bone.
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Ready when: Chicken reads at least 175°F (80°C) for tender, fall-off-the-bone thighs, and a spoon dragged across the pot bottom leaves a clear trail.
Tip: If the sauce gets too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water.
9
Rest and finish
- Turn off the heat.
- Fish out the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and any visible cardamom pods or cloves.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
- Cover and rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the cilantro and serve with rice or roti.
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Ready when: Sauce is glossy and rich orange-brown with a gentle sweet-spiced aroma.
Tip: The curry tastes even better the next day.

Good to know

Tips

Brown the chicken well; it builds a deep flavor base that the jam's sweetness balances.
Keep the simmer gentle; boiling toughens the chicken and breaks up the potatoes.
Taste at the end: if too sweet, add a splash of vinegar; if too sharp, add a small spoonful of jam.
Mashing 2–3 potato chunks into the sauce in step 8 gives a creamier body without adding any cream.

Make ahead

The curry can be made up to 2 days ahead; cool, refrigerate in an airtight container, and reheat gently over medium-low heat with a splash of water. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months (potatoes soften slightly). Reheat covered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot and 165°F (74°C) throughout, adding a splash of water if needed.

Substitutions

apricot jam → peach jam, mango chutney, or 2 tbsp brown sugar plus 1 tbsp extra vinegar. Keeps the sweet-tangy balance; mango chutney adds a little spice.
bone-in, skinless chicken thighs → bone-in chicken drumsticks or skinless chicken breast on the bone. Drumsticks cook the same; breast pieces need about 10 minutes less simmering and should reach 165°F (74°C).
ripe tomatoes → 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) diced tomatoes. Use the full can with juices.
chicken stock or water → water. Fine in a pinch; add an extra pinch of salt at the end.