I grew up watching Rick Stein’s amazing adventures.

And then I grew up, searched the world and finally managed to get a copy of his book online and have it delivered. I won’t lie, considering that I have not seen him on TV in a while , this book cost me a pretty penny. But it was soo soo worth it.

I came across this recipe by chance, I was flipping through the pages and the picture caught my eye. The potatoe straws were so eye catching that I could not wait to try it out.

Normally when I make a curry the potatoes are cubed and cooked along with the curry, these were fried ahead of time and cooling on some kitchen paper while the curry cooked.

A word of advice, well actually two. Firstly these straw chips cook way way quicker than a normal potatoe chip and secondly, they are highly addictive I almost munched the entire tray while I was cooking. I am too dangerous to be left alone with chippies .

All in all it was a delicious dish, all my father could tell me was that thanks to the apricots in here, he would be detoxing from inside out… talk about over sharing.

Potatoe mash straws:

250g x potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks.

Soak the potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes, drain and place on a paper towel.

Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.

Deep fry the potatoe straws in batches.

Allow to drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Ingredients for the curry:

• 3 x Tbsp oil.
• 6 x black peppercorns.
• 5 x cloves.
• 2 x green cardamoms, slightly bruised.
• 2 x dried chillies.
• 1 x cinnamon stick.
• 1 x onion, finely chopped.
• 1 x tin of chopped tomatoes.
• 1 x tsp salt.
• 2 x tsp ginger garlic paste.
• 2 x tsp masala.
• 1 x tsp cumin powder.
• 1 x tsp jeera powder.
• 1 x tsp garam masala.
• ½ x tsp turmeric powder.
• 1kg x chicken pieces.
• 2 x tsp jiggery.
• 150x soft dried apricots.
• 3 x tbsp. white wine vinegar.
• A few curry leaves.

Method:

• Heat oil in pot.
• Add onions and salt and saute till transparent.
• Add the peppercorns, cloves, cardamoms, dried chillies, cinnamon stick and curry leaves.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and cook till the tomatoes are soft and have left off some moisture.
• Add the spices and mix.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and mix.
• Add some water to create a nice gravy.
• Allow the gravy to come to the boil, add the jaggery, vinegar and apricots.
• Mix everything nicely.
• Add the chicken, cover and cook till the chicken is done and the gravy has thickened.
• Place the potatoe straws on the top and garnish with chopped coriander.