The comforting gift of food

Author and podcaster Sophie Hansen has written 130 recipes to cook for loved ones who might be moving house, busy with a new baby, celebrating a milestone or just in need of a little love and appreciation . . .

Sophie Hansen believes in simple, tasty and seasonal food made with love and shared generously.

Born and raised in Sydney, she now lives with her family on their farm just outside Orange in country New South Wales.

Sophie trained in journalism and has over 20 years’ experience as a features writer. She has contributed to Australian Country Style and Outback magazines; she was an editor for Slow Food International’s English website, lived in Italy for 3 years and is fluent in Italian.

In 2013 she set up her blog, Local is Lovely, and her podcast My Open Kitchen is going into its third season. Sophie has been awarded Australian Rural Woman of the Year in recognition of her commitment to rural communities.

Oven-roasted chicken curryThis grounding, warming curry is a meal in itself, with the split peas adding sustenance to keep you feeling full. I make it fairly mild so that everyone can enjoy it, then add a good sprinkle of fresh or dried chilli to mine at the table, along with a dollop of yoghurt. I think cooking this in the oven rather than on the stovetop produces a far richer, thicker curry, but you could take the stovetop option. Just keep the temperature low and the lid slightly off. The spice paste is worth having on hand in the fridge — simply rub it over chicken or lamb before barbecuing, or use it as a marinade.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 brown onions, diced

700g (1lb 9oz) skinless chicken thigh fillets,

cut into 3cm (11/4 inch) pieces

½ cup (130g) Greek-style yoghurt, plus extra to serve

2 Tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)

680g (1lb 8oz) jar tomato passata

3 cups (750ml) chicken stock

1 cup (205g) chana dahl (split

yellow lentils), soaked in cold

water for at least 1 hour

2 handfuls English spinach

Toasted slivered almonds, to serve

Steamed rice, to serve

SPICE PASTE:

5 green cardamom pods

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

4 black peppercorns

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 thumb-sized piece ginger,

roughly chopped

1 thumb-sized piece turmeric,

roughly chopped, or 1 tsp

ground turmeric

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

A good pinch of chilli flakes,

or to taste

2 Tbsp coconut oil

METHOD:

• For the spice paste, combine the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and peppercorns in a dry frying pan and toast for a few minutes or until fragrant.

• Transfer to a food processor, spice grinder or mortar and pestle and bash/blitz until well ground. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli and coconut oil and bash/blitz again until combined.

• Preheat the oven to 130°C. Heat the coconut oil in a large ovenproof saucepan or flameproof casserole dish over medium heat.

• Cook the onion for 7–10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes. Bump up the heat to high, add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes to seal.

• Add 1 tablespoon of the yoghurt, stirring well so all the flavours mix together and the yoghurt dries somewhat, then repeat with another tablespoon of yoghurt and another until it’s all incorporated. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.

• Add the passata and stir until the chicken is well coated in the spiced yoghurt mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, then pour in the stock and chana dahl and stir well. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3 hours, stirring every now and then so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

• Stir in the spinach and serve the curry with slivered almonds, yoghurt and steamed rice.

• Serves 6.