Creamy Chicken Curry with Green Beans

Curry powder is one of those pantry items that sounds like one thing and is really a little family of spices. A basic non-spicy blend like the one in this recipe is mostly coriander, cumin, turmeric and fenugreek, warmed up in the pan until the kitchen smells of it. That blooming step is the part I never skip. Cook the powder for a minute or so before any liquid goes in, and the sauce tastes rounder and less dusty.

The currants do more than sweeten things. They plump up in the warm milk and give little pockets of sweetness that balance the turmeric, so the curry tastes gentle without being bland. If you have never cooked with them, they are just dried grapes, smaller and tarter than sultanas, and they show up in a lot of old Australian and British cooking for exactly this reason.

Chicken thigh is my pick here. It stays tender through the simmer, while breast can go stringy if it sits too long in the sauce. Green beans are best added near the end so they stay bright and still have a bit of snap. If you like a thicker sauce, let it sit off the heat for five minutes before serving; it will tighten up on its own.

Leftovers keep well for about three days in a sealed container in the fridge. Store the rice separately if you can, since it firms up and is better reheated fresh. The curry itself reheats gently in a small pan with a splash of water, stirred over low heat so the milk does not catch on the base.

For a lighter weeknight plate, pair it with a cold cucumber and yoghurt salad, or a bowl of Golden Garlic Spinach with Currants and Pine Nuts, which repeats the currant trick in a different way. If you want a grain with a bit more chew, the Simple Brown Rice Side for One makes a nice change from white. Chicken and bean soup is another good neighbour for this dish when you are cooking for a crowd, since it uses the same comfort-food rhythm, as in the Spring Chicken and Bean Soup with Herb Pistou.