This lightly spiced chicken curry with mint came about on a hot Andalucían afternoon when I'd forgotten to grab rosemary from the village — and after walking there twice already, a third trip wasn't happening. So I sat on the roof terrace with a cold beer, stared at the chicken drumsticks, and came up with this instead. The Greek yoghurt and fresh mint cool the spices right down, giving it a fresh, interesting flavour that's quite different from a standard curry. The baked beans add colour and extra depth — this isn't a student's recipe, even if it sounds like one.

If you want heat, add a chilli or two, seeds and all. If you want it gentle, leave them out. Either way, this yoghurt chicken curry recipe delivers something genuinely different.

How to Make Lightly Spiced Chicken Curry with Mint

Ingredients — serves 2

4 chicken drumsticks, slashed

200ml Greek yoghurt

Squeeze of lemon juice

Splash of olive oil

Shake of white pepper

2–3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tbsp homemade aromatic garam masala

Small handful fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, halved

200g homemade or good-quality baked beans in tomato sauce

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Optional: 1–2 fresh chillies, sliced

Method

Slash the drumsticks deeply — this helps the marinade get right in.

In a bowl combine the Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil, white pepper, garlic, garam masala, and fresh mint. Stir well. Add the chicken and use your hands to coat thoroughly, pushing the marinade into the slashes. Set aside and retire to your roof terrace with something cold for at least an hour — more if the wine is good.

Sauté the onion gently in oil until soft. Add the chicken and some of the marinade and cook on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add the halved tomatoes and baked beans. Stir through this gives the curry its colour and extra depth.

Turn the heat up slightly, cover, and cook for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking for a further 5–10 minutes until the meat is starting to fall off the bone.

Serve with pilau rice – spiced with whole spices, red onion, peas, and green beans. It all counts towards your nine-a-day.

This lightly spiced chicken curry with mint recipe is part of my Curry Recipes hub and my Chicken Recipes hub — explore both for more ideas from Casa Adora and beyond.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef