Chicken Peanut Curry – gluten & dairy free

This blog is becoming a family affair! We’ve had Miss GF Makes and now Mr GF is getting in on the act too! He recently made this delicious Chicken Peanut Curry after being given the heads-up about a recipe from someone at work. Having made the original recipe as it was (BBC Good Food), we then made a few (family-agreed) amendments and this is the final result.

Although the original recipe was good, we found it to be a little lacking in texture and the flavour needed something ‘else’….. So we’ve upped the garlic content, added a sprinkle of turmeric, thrown in a chopped onion, switched the smooth peanut butter for crunchy and finally added some extra crushed salted peanuts into the mix. Way better……..

Even Miss GF had an extra hand in this one….. I came home a couple of weeks ago to find a pile of stuff in the sink and Miss GF proudly announcing that she’d made me some peanut butter (as a sort of apology for the usual morning row about getting out of the house in time to catch the train!). She’d found a large bag of roasted, salted peanuts in the cupboard and had grabbed the grinder and zapped them into a paste…… Knowing that I prefer my peanut butter to be crunchy, she was keen to point out that she had not over-ground it. Amazing! We have had some of it on toast, but it was also perfect for Mr GF’s curry….

The curry is (as you would expect) quite nutty, but it also has a glowingly warming kick from the chilli and ginger, making it perfect for the cold autumn evenings that have arrived. It would be an ideal dish to make in larger quantity for serving at the weekend if you are having a bonfire party! It is dairy free as well as gluten free and is delicious not only with rice, but also accompanying a crispy, hot jacket potato. Or you could make some delicious gluten free soft Roti Flatbread!

We also served ours with some lovely crunchy Onion Bhaji’s, made with an Authentic Spice Kit from Our House of Spice, which I picked up in the summer at the Free From and Allergy Show in London. We love onion bhajis, but since being gluten free, generally avoid them when we go to Indian restaurants or get takeaways because of the gluten risk. Having tasted these first at the Show, we can thoroughly recommend them……. they are made with gram (chickpea) flour….. so easy!

Alternatively, why not treat yourself to an Indian Feast and include a variety of dishes. Keema Matar and Saag Paneer would definitely be great additions.

Anyway….. well done Mr GF and Miss GF….. this was an amazing meal!

Chicken Peanut Curry (adapted from a recipe on BBC Good Food)

1. Heat a little oil in a large skillet/deep frying pan over medium heat and gently brown the chicken chunks in batches until golden. Set aside.
2. Next fry the chopped onion for a couple of minutes until soft and translucent.
3. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and continue to fry for a further couple of minutes.
4. Add the garam masala and turmeric and fry for a further minute.
5. Stir in the peanut butter, coconut milk, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
6. Return the chicken to the pan with the chopped coriander and crushed peanuts (reserving a sprinkling for serving). Stir through.
7. Add a little salt to taste.
8. Cook for about half an hour until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.
9. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining crushed peanuts and coriander leaves.
10. Serve with rice.