Chicken curry with chicory and cashews in persimmon-coconut sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 250 g chicken breast fillet(s)
• 400 g chicory
• 2 small onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 10 g ginger root
• 100 ml chicken broth
• ½ tsp chili flakes
• some salt
• 25g clarified butter or ghee
• 25 g cashew nuts
• 1 persimmon(s), fully ripe
• 400 ml coconut milk, creamy
• 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp mint, dried
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Cut the chicken into strips. Remove the chicory stem. Halve the chicory lengthwise, cut several times into the inner stem lengthwise, and cut the chicory crosswise into thin strips. Peel and finely dice the onions. Peel the garlic, peel the ginger, and finely chop both. Wash the ripe persimmon and roughly dice the jelly-like flesh. Roast the cashews in a dry pan for a few minutes, remove, and set aside. Heat about a third of the clarified butter in a pan and fry the meat for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm. Add the remaining fat to the pan and add the onions. The pan should not be too hot, so the onions don’t burn immediately. Sauté the onions with a pinch of salt over medium heat for about 4 minutes until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the chicory to the pan with a little salt and let it wilt slightly, stirring for about 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and sprinkle in the chili flakes. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, place the persimmons and coconut milk in a tall, narrow container. Add the apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, garam masala, cumin powder, and mint. Blend everything with an immersion blender until creamy and season with salt. Pour the sauce back into the pan and add the meat. Bring everything back to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. When serving, sprinkle the cashews over the curry. If you like it spicier, sprinkle with more chili flakes. I served it with rice. Diced potatoes or simply toasted bread also go well with it. Note: The persimmon should be very ripe and soft, with the skin already slightly translucent so that the flesh is also jelly-like. Only then is the persimmon sweet and aromatic enough for this dish and can counteract the bitter chicory.