Queen Elizabeth II’s Curry from Cooking and the Crown

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 green cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

2 onions, finely chopped

1½ tablespoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2–3 teaspoons mild curry powder

1 heaped tablespoon plain flour

500ml chicken stock or water

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

3 tablespoons natural yogurt

A big pinch of sea salt

A big pinch of saffron

A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons garam masala (see below)

For the garam masala

1 tablespoon green cardamon pods, husks cracked

1½ cinnamon sticks

½ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

To serve

Steamed or boiled basmati rice

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

2 tomatoes, skinned, destalked and finely diced

4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

8 poppadoms

3 tablespoons mango chutney

2 shallots, sliced and fried in oil until brown and crisp, then drained on kitchen paper

To make your own garam masala, dry roast all the ingredients in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat until you smell the oils being released. Put into a spice grinder, grind, then store in an airtight container.

For the curry, heat the oil in a large pan, then add the cardamom pods and bay leaves, and cook until they crackle and pop. Add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes until soft, then add the ground coriander, turmeric and curry powder, plus the flour, and stir well.

Add the stock gradually, stirring to make a sauce, then add the chicken, yogurt, salt and saffron. Simmer gently for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir in the parsley and garam masala, and cook for a couple more minutes.

Serve with basmati rice and other accompaniments.