Cape Malay Chicken Curry

A heritage South African curry slow-cooked with warm spices, potatoes, and a touch of sweet apricot jam.

South Africa's melting pot of flavours at its very best. Slow-cooked with cinnamon, cardamom, potatoes, and just a touch of apricot jam for that perfect sweet-spicy balance—this dish tells a story with every bite. Comfort, culture, and history on a plate.

Cape Malay Chicken Curry, a South African recipe
Prep15 min
Cook1 hr 15 min
Total1 hr 30 min
Serves4
LevelMedium
Watch on Instagram

Before you start

Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.

Method

  1. 1

    Fry Aromatics & Whole Spices

    Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the sliced onions until golden brown.

  2. 2

    Add the 1 cinnamon stick and 3 cardamom pods; fry for about 1 minute until whole spices are fragrant.

  3. 3

    Build Sauce Base & Add Chicken

    Stir in the sliced green chillies, 2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste, and 2 blended tomatoes. Cook down until thickened.

The rest of this recipe

There’s 8 more ingredients and 4 more steps to go.

Start 7 days free and the rest of Cape Malay Chicken Curry opens in full.

  • Every recipe in full, this one included
  • One shopping list across everything you’re cooking
  • Servings that scale, and cups instead of grams
  • Ask Chef Ivana Sanshia a question on any recipe

A payment method is collected at checkout. Your 7 days are free; cancel before they’re up and you’re not charged. After that your plan renews automatically until you cancel, which takes two clicks in your account.

Ivana Sanshia’s note

Bone-in chicken pieces (like thighs and drumsticks) are key here—they release rich collagen into the gravy as it simmers, keeping the sauce thick and luxurious.

Club

Ask Chef Ivana Sanshia

If you have any questions, ask, and Ivana Sanshia replies to you personally. No Bots, No AI.

Filed under

Picked by Ivana Sanshia

Other dishes you might like

All recipes →

Hand-picked to round out the meal, or simply to cook next.