Ingredients

300 g lean chicken breast meat, chopped very finely (or minced)

2 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced

60 ml tomato paste

4 Tbsp peach chutney

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp hot masala

Salt to taste

Handful of coriander leaves, chopped

1 packet frozen spring roll pastry sheets, thawed

2 Tbsp flour

3 or 4 Tbsp cold water

Plenty of cooking oil

Method

Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in ghee till golden. Add tomato paste and braise for 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and curry powder (masala) and braise, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and make sure it is all well coated with the spiced onion mix. Add the chutney, salt to taste, and simmer over a very low heat for 30 minutes, very gently, stirring often. If the mixture is to dry, add a little water, but simmer it away again. Stir in chopped coriander at the end.

The spring rolls:

Unwrap the pastry and place on a clean surface near where you are to assemble the spring rolls. Place a clean, damp towel over the pastry. Have the curry filling to hand and a tablespoon. In a small bowl, mix the flour with cold water and stir until it is a smooth, slightly runny paste. It should not be too thick. This is your “glue”. You also need a pastry brush.

Peel off the top pastry sheet and place on a lean board in front of you. Brush a little of this along the left and right edges of the sheet, and along the top edge furthest away from you. Place a spoonful or two of the filling near the edge nearest you.

Brush three edges of the sheet with flour-water “glue” and spoon some filling near the edge nearest you.

Fold both sides in towards the middle. 

Fold towards the middle.

Then roll up from the edge nearest you towards the top, stopping just short.

Roll up.

Paste a little more “glue” along the top edge and complete the last roll. Press down and put aside.

‘Glue’ the top edge and complete the rolling up. Then press down.

Heat oil in a deep pot until it’s about 160℃. Dip the edge of a spring roll in the oil to test. The bubbles should shoot lightly away from it, not too vigorously. Adjust heat if necessary. Fry 2 or 3 spring rolls at a time depending on the width of your pot, until they are pale golden, not too dark. Remove to kitchen paper in a bowl to drain. Serve hot with chutney.

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