Mango Chicken Curry
⏱ 10 min prep · 🍳 20 min · 🍽 4
Mango chicken curry earns a permanent slot in the weeknight rotation because it shrugs off a chaotic evening: brown the chicken, stir in mango chutney and cream, and let it simmer while the rice finishes. No last-minute fussing, no clock-watching if someone walks in ten minutes late from practice.
Mango chutney does the heavy lifting that a whole spice rack would otherwise demand — sweetness and acidity from one jar, balanced in under ten minutes flat. Serve the sauce plain to the youngest eaters at the table, then set out pomegranate seeds, peanuts, chili, and cilantro in small bowls so everyone else dials their own plate up or down.
Warm naan on the side stretches the meal further if an extra dinner guest shows up unannounced, or if someone in the house would just rather fill up on bread than rice.
Ingredients
- 4.000 stk kyllingfilet
- 300.000 g mango chutney
- 1.000 dl fløte
- 1.000 dl appelsinjuice eller vann
- 2.000 ss smør
- 1.000 ss karripulver eller rød- eller gul karripasta
- salt og kvernet pepper
- olje til steking
- granateplekjerner
- peanøtter
- koriander, frisk
- rød chili, finsnittet
- lime
- ris, kokt
- naanbrød
Instructions
Kok ris etter anvisning på pakken.
Skjær kyllingfileten i biter, varm olje i en stekepanne og brun kyllingen på høy varme, og krydre med salt og pepper.
Press hvitløken over kyllingen og stek 1 minutt til.
Rør inn mangochutney, kremfraiche, soyasaus og vann, og la sausen småkoke 5-10 minutter til kyllingen er gjennomstekt og sausen tykner litt.
Server kyllingen i mangosaus over ris, gjerne med naan-brød ved siden av.
This is the curry to reach for the week you're finally introducing curry to a kid who eyes anything "spicy" with suspicion — mango chutney rounds off the sharp edges, and the sauce is sweet enough on its own to work over plain rice with nothing else added. We keep every garnish in its own bowl on the table: pomegranate seeds here, chopped peanuts there, chili on the side — so it's an opt-in topping instead of something a kid has to pick out of a sauce that's already mixed in. The sauce doesn't split in the fridge, which matters more than it sounds like it should: a double batch made Saturday reheats Tuesday tasting exactly the same, no one clocks that dinner was made three days ago.
FAQ
Is this a safe first curry for kids who are wary of spice?
Yes — start with less curry paste than the recipe calls for and taste as you go, since heat varies a lot between brands and "1 tablespoon" isn't a fixed quantity. Some kids will still want plain rice with just a spoonful of sauce over it, and that's fine — serve the garnishes on the side so everyone builds their own plate. The cream and mango chutney tame most of the heat even at full strength.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
The sauce with chicken freezes well in an airtight container for up to two months, but cook the rice fresh from raw when you reheat — rice that's been frozen and thawed turns grainy fast. Thaw the sauce in the fridge overnight and warm it gently in a pan with a splash of water or cream to bring the texture back. Keep pomegranate seeds and peanuts out of the freezer — they lose all their crunch.
What do I use if I don't have mango chutney on hand?
Most supermarkets stock it on the international or condiments aisle, but in a pinch apricot jam plus a squeeze of lime juice gets you close on sweetness and acidity. Mango puree with a little lime works too, as long as it's thick enough to bind the sauce. Plain mango juice on its own is too thin — the sauce separates more easily without the chutney's natural body.
Chicken thighs or chicken breast — which works better here?
Boneless thighs hold up better to simmering in sauce and are far more forgiving than breast, which dries out if left too long; give thighs 2-3 extra minutes before adding them to the sauce. With bone-in pieces, let the chicken simmer in the sauce for 12-15 minutes until fully cooked through. Breast works fine too, but pull it off the heat the moment it's opaque all the way through — it turns dry fast if it lingers.
Can I get this ready ahead of a day I know will be hectic?
Make the sauce and brown the chicken the day before or over the weekend, cool it quickly and refrigerate — it often tastes better a day later once the spices settle in. On the actual dinner night, just start the rice cooker and reheat the sauce in a pan while you set the table. Slot it into the week as a low-effort night so the rest of the family knows what's coming without having to ask.
How long do leftovers keep in the fridge?
3-4 days in a sealed container, and the curry flavor tends to deepen rather than fade over the first couple of days. Reheat gently in a pan on low heat — the microwave can make the sauce split slightly around the edges. Leftovers also work cold the next day, folded into naan with a little of the garnish, as a fast lunch.