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Cape Malay · South African

Cape Malay chicken curry

Non-vegetarian

A fragrant, gently sweet and mildly hot chicken and potato curry spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel and turmeric. A Cape Town family favourite from the Cape Malay community.

Cape Malay chicken curry is a Cape Malay curry from South Africa, ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes and made with chicken thigh, turmeric and potato. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
55 min
Total
1 h 15 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
355

Ingredients

6 servings

Whole spices

Ground spices

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil and fry the whole spices for 1 minute, then add the onions (opens in a new tab) and cook until golden.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, chilli and ground spices and stir for 1 minute.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the chicken and turn to coat in the spices. Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and cook 5 minutes.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab), water, salt and sugar (opens in a new tab). Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the chicken cooked through.

    • 35 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Chicken should reach 74 °C.

  5. Step 5

    Scatter with cilantro (opens in a new tab) and serve.

      Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
      How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Western Cape, South Africa · Well documentedFrom the Cape Malay community of Cape Town, descendants of people brought from South and Southeast Asia.More food from South Africa
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Stewed, Simmered
    Taste
    aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet & spicy, savoury
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Chicken thigh · Turmeric · Potato · Onion · Cinnamon · Cardamom
    Techniques
    Simmering · Stewing

    Allergens

    None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    355 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 408 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 40%
    • Carbohydrate 24%
    • Fat 36%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy355 kcal87 kcal
    Protein35.7 g8.8 g
    Carbohydrate20.9 g5.1 g
    Net carbohydrate16.8 g4.1 g
    Sugars3.9 g1 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre4.1 g1 g
    Fat14.3 g3.5 g
    Saturated fat2.4 g0.6 g
    Trans fat0.1 g0 g
    Cholesterol157 mg38 mg
    Sodium754 mg185 mg
    Salt equivalent1.9 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    960 mg
    Calcium
    69 mg
    Iron
    3.1 mg
    Magnesium
    76 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    47 µg
    Vitamin C
    28 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    35 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: sugar.
    • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Cape Malay curries balance warmth with a touch of sweetness — add a spoon of apricot jam or chutney if you like it sweeter.

    Common mistakes

    • Burning the ground spices — add a splash of water if they start to catch.

    Serve with

    • Serve with yellow rice with raisins, roti, and sambals (grated carrot, tomato and onion).

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently until piping hot.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    • Chicken thigh, boneless, cut into large pieces1 kg · 1000 g
    • Tomato, grated3 piece · 360 g
    • Potato, peeled, cut into chunks2 piece · 400 g
    Used in steps 3, 4

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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