Cass Abrahams is often called the Queen of Spices for her expertise in combining the complex flavours of Cape Malay food.

In her latest recipe book, A Life with food, she shares her life story, coloured in by cooking tips and some of her best recipes.

Try her recipe for a Creamy Chicken Curry with our Leopard’s Leap Chardonnay – the ideal combination for an autumn weekend!

Creamy Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 5 ml masala
• 50 ml flour
• salt to taste
• 5 chicken fillets in strips
• 50 ml of butter
• 25 ml of cooking oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 10 ml cumin seeds
• 10 ml fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 x 410 g tin whole tomatoes
• 10 ml masala
• 5 ml turmeric
• 10 ml garlic/ginger paste
• 125 ml plain yoghurt
• freshly chopped coriander leaves (dhania)

Method

Combine masala, flour and salt.

Cover chicken strips in the mixture and dust off the excess.

Heat butter and oil and fry the chicken strips on both sides.

Remove the chicken from the pot and keep aside.

Add the onion, cumin, fennel and bay leaf and cook until the onion is soft and transparent.

Add tomatoes, tomato juice, turmeric, masala and garlic/ginger paste.

Simmer until the sauce thickens.

Add the chicken strips to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Add yoghurt and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with roti and Leopard’s Leap Chardonnay!