---
title: "What’s cooking today: Easy chicken and apricot curry"
description: "Dried fruit in a chicken curry is a good old South African staple. No fancy techniques required, no masalas to grind, toast and mix. It’s a quick and easy supper that virtually cooks itself."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "QUICK FIX"
author: "Tony Jackman"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tonyjackman/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-02-09-whats-cooking-today-easy-chicken-and-apricot-coconut-curry/"
published: "2022-02-09T14:30:20"
updated: "2022-02-09T11:50:09"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 312
---

# What’s cooking today: Easy chicken and apricot curry

> Dried fruit in a chicken curry is a good old South African staple. No fancy techniques required, no masalas to grind, toast and mix. It’s a quick and easy supper that virtually cooks itself.

By Tony Jackman · Published 9 February 2022, 16:30 SAST · Updated 9 February 2022, 13:50 SAST

## Content

A packet of dried apricots, a couple of chicken breasts and thighs, and there’s not much else to do but reach for the masala jar, grab a can of coconut cream and get on with it. Perfect for a hassle-free weeknight supper.

**Ingredients**

Coconut oil

500 g chicken (breasts and/or thighs, only the meat)

250 g dried apricots

1 red onion

2 garlic cloves

1 x 3 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 red chillies, chopped

2 Tbsp masala of your choice (mine is a hot Durban masala)

80 ml tomato purée

1 x 400 g can coconut cream

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves

**Method**

Trim the chicken breasts and thighs off their bones and remove the skin. They’re not good in a curry, even if the bones would add a little flavour. It’s when it comes to eating a chicken curry that you don’t want fiddly bits of bone all over the place. Slice the chicken meat into fairly small pieces.

Melt the coconut oil and sauté the chopped onion, garlic and ginger until softened. Add the chopped chillies and stir in the masala, then add the tomato purée and cook gently for 3 minutes while stirring.

Stir in the coconut cream and season with salt.

Add the chicken pieces and apricots and stir. Put a lid on and leave to simmer for up to an hour. Check now and then to be careful that it doesn’t catch at the bottom. Serve with rice and chopped coriander. **DM/TGIFood**

*Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Champion 2021. His**book, foodSTUFF, is available in the DM Shop. Buy it*[*here*](https://shop.dailymaverick.co.za/product/foodstuff-reflections-and-recipes-from-a-celebrated-foodie/)*.*

*Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram*[*@tony\_jackman\_cooks*](https://www.instagram.com/tony_jackman_cooks/)*. Share your versions of his recipes with him on Instagram and he’ll see them and respond.*

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