South Africa’s well-known Cape Malay style of cooking incorporates Malaysian, Indonesian and East African influences and dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
It is almost as old as Spier Wine Farm’s 300-year history of winemaking. Here, Spier shares the secret behind its contemporary Cape Malay chicken curry roulade. This new twist on both a traditional curry and a rolled, stuffed chicken breast can be prepared easily at home.
Enjoy this gently spicy meal with a glass of Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc, a wine that goes well with curry flavours.
Cape Malay Chicken Curry Roulade (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 4 medium-large whole chicken breasts and an extra 100 g chicken breast, diced
- 25 ml medium curry powder, divided into a 10 ml and 15ml serving
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 15 ml tomato paste
- 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 500 ml vegetable/chicken stock
- cooked rice, tomato & pineapple salsa, fruit chutney and fresh coriander (to serve)
Method:
- In a large pot, add the oil and onions over medium heat, then fry until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Remove from the heat, and scoop half of the fried mixture into a blender. Add the diced chicken breast and 10 ml curry powder to the blender, season with salt & pepper, and blend to a paste. Remove and set aside.
- Return the other half of the fried mixture back to the heat. Add the remaining 15 ml curry powder and tomato paste, and stir well. Add the chopped tomatoes, potato and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes), then remove from the heat. Transfer carefully to a blender (or use a stick blender in the pot), then blend to a smooth, thick sauce. Season with salt & pepper and set aside.
- Flatten the 4 whole chicken breast using a mallet or rolling pin. Spread the stuffing over the flattened chicken breast and roll it up into a log shape. Wrap each rolled chicken breast tightly in cling wrap to keep its shape and poach in slowly simmering water for about 12-15 minutes and set aside to cool. Remove cling wrap from the chicken and brown the outside of the chicken briefly in a pan with butter. Slice each breast into 3 pieces to reveal the stuffing inside, then serve with the curry sauce, rice, salsa, chutney and fresh herbs.
About the wine: Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc
Soft aromas of dried apricots and ripe tropical fruit, with an oak and vanilla undertow on the nose. On the palate, there’s good acidity and rounded rich flavours of white flesh peaches, almond paste and creaminess.
