Midlands chicken curry with dried apple rings.(Photo: Tony Jackman) 
Serving curry at dinner parties and for family meals became popular in the then Natal (KwaZulu-Natal) in the 1950s and 1960s. To protect delicate palates, curries were adapted to become milder dishes, using dried fruit.
Chicken would be cooked in stock with a little curry powder to make it spicy but not hellfire hot, and the fruits were added to give it a sweet flavour. Chopped pineapple was also very popular with the chicken but dried fruit absorbs rather than adds to the liquid content.
We have added coconut oil and coconut cream to this recipe for a richer taste and used just one tablespoon of a hot curry where we would usually use two or more, depending on the quantity.
Ingredients
Eight chicken pieces (thighs and legs)
1 heaped Tbs strong curry powder
1 x 250g packet of sun dried apple rings
3 Tbs coconut oil
1 x 400 g can coconut cream
400 ml chicken stock
3 Tbs chutney
Salt to taste
Method
Sauté the chicken pieces in the coconut oil and the curry powder. When they are browned, add the coconut cream, chicken stock, salt and chutney. Stir well and cook at a medium heat for half an hour before adding the apple rings. Cook for another 30 minutes. Serve with basmati rice. DM