Tongabezi Chicken Curry

Serves 4.

Ingredients

 * 2 sweet potatoes
 * 1 butternut squash
 * 4 large chicken joints, halved
 * salt
 * freshly ground black pepper
 * vegetable oil
 * 2 onions, finely chopped
 * 2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
 * 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
 * 15 g (½ oz) fresh root ginger, finely chopped
 * 6 cardamom seeds
 * 1 heaped teaspoon curry powder
 * 450 ml (¾ pint) chicken stock
 * 2 sticks lemon grass, bruised
 * 2 small red chilies, finely chopped
 * 300 ml (½ pint) yogurt
 * 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

Directions

 * 1) Parboil the sweet potatoes in their skins for about 10 minutes, then peel and cut into thick slices.
 * 2) Cut the Squash into similar-sized pieces.
 * 3) Season the chicken pieces. Heat some vegetable oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for about 15 minutes until golden.
 * 4) Remove from the pan and keep warm. Add the onions to the pan and cook gently until soft, then add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cardamom and curry powder and cook for a few minutes.
 * 5) Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock and lemon grass, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
 * 6) Meanwhile, heat a little more vegetable oil in another pan and fry the pieces of sweet potato and squash over medium heat for about 10 minutes until slightly golden and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Keep warm.
 * 7) When the chicken is cooked, add the chopped chillies to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or so.
 * 8) Stir in the yogurt and heat through without boiling.
 * 9) Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with the sautéed sweet potatoes and Squash.