Chicken Curry Soup

Today, it is Freezing in Pretoria. Absolutely toe-numbing, teeth chattering freezing. And the only thing I want to do is jump back under the covers with a bowl of this soup…even though it’s only 07:40am.

When I told some friends that I was making Chicken Curry soup, the response was quite amusing. Some said it sounds good, some said it sounds strange and some just nodded and smiled. Trust me on this one, this is incredible. It really is just a basic chicken curry recipe that I added extra chicken stock and cream to. It’s that simple. And I decided to make Naan bread with it which is just as simple, don’t be intimidated. This is not an original Naan bread recipe, but it works. The bread not only tastes divine, it also looks gorgeous. And I love being able to give each person their own Naan to eat with their soup.

If you are worried that your kids won’t be able to eat this soup, simply leave out the chillies/chilli flakes. I always remove some of the soup for my kids before adding the hot spices but they still get the aromatic coriander, cumin, nutmeg and paprika. And in these cold, flu-filled months, I add loads of ginger and garlic to our food because of it’s immune boosting qualities, also, it tastes great.

Served with fresh coriander (this really is fresh coriander, for once) and a squeeze of lemon juice, this soup is absolutely comfort-in-a-bowl.

Serves 4

1kg chicken pieces, poached with skin and bones removed and meat shredded
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp each nutmeg and cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp crushed chillies / 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp sugar
1.5l chicken stock
100ml cream
salt & pepper to taste
Naan bread
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1tbsn Sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
4tbsn Oil
5 tbsn Melted Butter

1. In a large pot, fry the onion, carrots and celery in a bit of oil until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another minute before adding the tomatoes and spices. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the sugar and stir into the spicy mixture.
4. Add the shredded chicken and stir to coat the chicken in all the spices and vegetables.
5. Carefully pour in the stock and allow the soup to come up to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the soup looks rich and fragrant.
6. Add the cream and season to taste. Serve with the Naan bread.
7. For the Naan bread,Pre-heat the oven to the hottest setting you can. (I have a fan-assisted oven that I put on 250 and I switch the grill on)
8. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl.
9. Mix the sugar, milk, egg and 2 tbsn of the oil together.
10. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the fluids.
11. Mix well and then turn onto a floured surface and knead well.
12. Add the rest of the oil and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and all the oil is incorporated.
13. Place back into the bowl, cover and leave to rest for 2-3 hours.
14. Divide into 8 balls, roll and shape into ovals with the palms of your hands.
15. Bake until puffed and brown.
16. Brush with melted butter the moment it comes out of the oven.