Sapporo Soup Curry

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in chicken legs, about 1 kg in total
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 20 g ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1.2 litres chicken stock
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 medium potatoes, halved
• 200 g kabocha squash, cut into 3 wedges
• 1 carrot, halved lengthways
• 1 small aubergine, quartered lengthways
• 1 green pepper, quartered
• 8 okra, tops trimmed
• 100 g broccoli, broken into large florets
• 300 ml oil, for shallow frying the vegetables
• 4 bowls of hot short-grain rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Rub the chicken legs all over with the teaspoon of salt.
• Measure the cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and cayenne into one small bowl.
• Cut all the vegetables into the large pieces listed and keep them on a tray.

Steps

1. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy pot over a medium-high heat.
2. Brown the chicken legs skin side down for 5 minutes, then turn and brown the other side for 3 minutes.
3. Lift the chicken onto a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon of the fat.
4. Add the chopped onion and fry it over a medium heat for 12 minutes, until deep golden and sweet.
5. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until they smell fragrant.
6. Tip in the bowl of ground spices and stir constantly for 45 seconds to toast them.
7. Add the tomato puree and the tinned tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture darkens and thickens.
8. Pour in the chicken stock, then add the bay leaf, soy sauce and honey.
9. Return the chicken legs to the pot and simmer gently, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
10. Heat the 300 ml of oil in a deep frying pan to 170C.
11. Fry the potatoes, squash and carrot for 6 minutes, until a skewer slides in easily, then drain them on kitchen paper.
12. Fry the aubergine, pepper, okra and broccoli for 2 minutes, until glossy and just tender, and drain them too.
13. Taste the soup and adjust it with salt and more cayenne until it is bold and slightly salty on its own.
14. Ladle the soup into four wide bowls and sit a chicken leg in each.
15. Arrange the fried vegetables around the chicken and serve with a separate bowl of rice for dipping.