Quick and dirty 6-ingredient chicken curry

If you're a curry snob, then this recipe is NOT for you.

But if you are, like me, a time-strapped working stiff who needs to throw something together in a hurry, then this is the perfect no-fuss dish. Great for days when you get home at 7ish after a long hard day at work.

You have no time to go to the supermarket, waste time prepping or even wash dishes. The natural urge to is to make a detour on your drive home and tar pow some food, or reach for the phone to call McDonalds home delivery. Travel and waiting time considered, it'll take at least an hour and you won't be eating till 8ish.

So, it's gonna take an hour any which way, you might as well whip up something home-cooked and give your body and taste-buds a break from crappy msg-laden junk food. Here's how to get this recipe done in under an hour.

When you do your regular grocery shopping, stock up on a few packs of curry powder and packaged coconut milk. The potatoes, onions and curry leaves can keep up to a month in your fridge. The chicken parts you can freeze and white rice in a rice cooker is a no-brainer.

• You get home, put your crap down, turn TV on and pour yourself a big glass of wine - 5 mins
• Chuck frozen chicken into microwave and nuke - 2 mins
• Wash and cook rice in rice cooker - 3 mins
• Small sip of wine - 5 secs
• Peel and dice onion - 3 mins
• Peel and cut potatoes - 5 mins
• Grab packaged curry powder, coconut milk and curry leaves - 1 min
• Big gulp of wine - 10 sec
• Actual cooking time - 10 mins
• Sit in front of TV and drink more wine - 30 mins

Total cooking time - 24 minutes
Total time from getting through the front door to putting food in your mouth - 59 minutes 15 seconds

Serves 2

• 4 pieces cut chicken parts (Breast, thigh or drumstick. If using wings, use 6-8 pieces.)
• 3 small waxy potatoes, peeled and halved
• 100g pack of your favourite curry powder
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 large red or yellow onion, diced
• 500ml coconut cream (Kara brand is good)

Heat 2 tablespoons on high heat in a pot. Throw in the curry leaves and let sizzle for a few seconds, then brown the diced onions till soft and translucent. Add curry powder and let the heat cook the spices till fragrant, about 2 minutes. If you prefer more heat in your curry, add a few tablespoons of packaged chilli paste.

Add chicken, making sure it's evenly coated with the curry powder paste and cooked through. This will take about 3 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, drop in the potatoes and pour in the coconut milk. Top up with some water to ensure that the chicken and potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Season to taste with salt.

I did the math on the wash-up count:

• 1 cutting board
• 1 knife
• 1 veggie peeler
• 1 pot
• 1 cooking spoon or ladle

If you count the serving dishes and rice cooker:

• 2 bowls or plates
• 2 spoons
• 2 forks
• 1 rice cooker pot and lid

How's that for quick and dirty curry, with a quickie clean-up?