A Family Favourite.... J's Chicken Curry

Well, folks, although this recipe is not strictly Aussie fare, I'm sharing it, because it's a recipe I've grown up with, I've cooked it a thousand times (well OK, maybe not a thousand, but you get the idea!), and I just love it! It's simple, delicious and hearty, and it's been loved by my hubby, all my children, and numerous guests throughout the years. Although my mum passed it on to me, I'm pretty sure I've cooked it a zillion times more than her now, so it is hereby called J's Chicken Curry (sorry mum... nothing's sacred!)


The recipe is simple. 
Pull apart 1 cooked chicken. You can steam it like mum used to if you're so inclined (I tried that once back in 1995, and destroyed my cookpot, steamer and the chook!), or if you've been burnt by past experiences, you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket instead- it'll do the same job, and without the toxic fumes, too!
Finely dice 1 large carrot, 1 large onion and 1 green capsicum (bell pepper). Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large pot, then add the vegetables and fry gently until they are beginning to soften. Stir in 3tbsp plain flour, 1 tbsp brown or raw sugar and 1 tsp curry powder. For the authentic J's Chicken Curry flavour, try to get your paws onto some Keens Traditional Curry Powder! It's the only one to use for this dish- at least here in Australia. If I'm ever living in another country and find I can't get Keens Traditional, I'll probably cry. But just for a minute or so!

Now, although I've waffled on a bit since adding the dry ingredients, in reality, you'll want to add 600mls of chicken stock fairly quickly after you've stirred in the dry goods, otherwise you'll have a sticking burning mess in the bottom of your pot before you can say "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport."  A little sticking is fine though, as it will probably be lifted by the liquid once you stir it in. Now as far as the stock goes, I use the liquid stocks available in supermarkets everywhere. If you've been a domestic angel and steamed your poultry number, you can use the water from the steamer. Of course, I forgot to tell you that beforehand, but that's OK, because domestic angels tend to think ahead, and you've probably reserved the water, because that's how you roll.


Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. To finish this off, allow the vegetables to simmer gently for about 10 minutes, adding more water or stock if the mixture becomes too thick. Stir in the shredded chicken for the last 5 minutes of cooking time to warm through and soften, and add salt to taste. Serve with cooked rice, or thin the sauce with 300mls of lite cream and serve it over hot pasta. Enjoy!

Now, all this talk of chopping veggies and shredding chicken reminds me of a ridiculous camel and rabbit stew recipe that my dad used to have fits of laughter over. It was from a book called "Outback Cooking in the Camp Oven" by Jack and Reg Absalom, and it was tongue in cheek Aussie humour at its best! If you could do with a good laugh, swing by Amazon and see if you can land yourself a copy!