Sorry it took so long - had other work to finish.

Try this - it's as near to a carry-out as I've cooked.

Curried chicken breast with vegetable pilaff.

Don't worry about the amount of oil used - it will rise to the top and can
be scooped away at the end of cooking

2 x Raw chicken breasts, skinned and without bones, diced bite-size

3 tablespoons  - or more - Cooking olive oil - not expensive extra-virgin
stuff.

1 x medium onion, sliced;   4 x garlic cloves, crushed;  1 x 'thumb' of
fresh ginger, peeled and grated; a whole cinnamon stick.

Sliced fresh chillies as required.  A can of Plum tomatoes with juice -
chopped.

½ pint skim milk + ½ pint vegetable or chicken stock. 1 teaspoon Cornflour
(cornstarch)   (Optional - ½ block creamed coconut)

A fresh mango, peeled, stoned & chopped small (or use a can of sliced
mangos - and the juice.)

Optional - ½ a small can of pineapple pieces or pulp - if you want a
sweeter, fruitier curry.

First mix these spices together with some of the cold oil:

1 x teaspoon each - ground coriander & ground cumin; ¾  teaspoon ground
turmeric; ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek

¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder; ½ teaspoon paprika powder; ½ teaspoon chilli
powder; ¼ teaspoon green mango powder

The crushed black seeds from 8 green cardamom pods.

Put the rest of the oil into a broad thick bottomed pot. Bring up the heat
and toss in the chicken - stir-fry until taking colour.

Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon - keeping as much oil in the pan as
you can - let the chicken drain in a sieve into a bowl.

Put the cinnamon stick and the garlic into the pot and then turn up the
heat. As soon as the garlic starts to make noises -i.e. - sizzle - drop in
the onions and the ginger, fry roundaboutabit.

Now add the oil-soaked spices. Turn DOWN the heat and keep mixing gently for
about 8-10 minutes, until the spices are very fragrant

Put the chicken back into the pot.  Pour in the chopped tomatoes, the water
or stock, chillies if using, and the mango. (Don't add the pineapple yet)

Bring that to the boil. Meanwhile, mix the Cornflour with the skim milk and
pour that all at once into the pot, stirring quickly until the mixture
thickens. (If you don't use Cornflour - the milk will usually split and look
awful)

You should NOT need to add salt.

Stir it all once or twice, put on a lid and turn the heat down as low as you
can and still see some movement on the surface. Stir now and again 15
minutes and it's ready. Skim off surface oils  Add creamed coconut - which
will add a lot of saturated fat and thicken it too.

If you want it slightly sour, add a teaspoon of Tamarind extract and stir it
through. Extra flash-fried sliced onions can be added if wanted.

Make the pilaff while the curry is cooking:

1 Tablespoon olive oil - sorry - the oil stays IN this one.

1 cup/mug basmati rice, don't rinse it first.

A couple of spring onions, chopped & a small clove garlic, crushed. Chillies
if you want them, sliced.

½ teaspoon turmeric powder.

Mixture of a few green peas, some diced carrot, chopped broccoli, some
sliced small mushrooms, chopped green beans - whatever you fancy, but not
soft vegetables like tomatoes, courgettes (zucchini) - in total - the same
volume as the rice - so a mug or cup.

1 and ¾  Mugs vegetable stock, or water - even half and half stock/water.
A PINCH of salt.

Heat the oil in a thick based pot. Drop in the spring onions, garlic

Add in the uncooked vegetables and swirl them round a moment or two.

Pour in the rice - turn the heat down - move the rice about to coat every
grain with oil. Let the rice absorb the oil.

Salt.

Pour on the liquid and bring to a gentle simmer.  Toss in two bay leaves.
Stir it ONCE ONLY.

Put on the lid and put at the back of the stove on lowest heat - about 12 -
15 minutes depending on the quality and absorbency of the rice.

Do NOT stir it or it will become stodgy! The surface of the rice - should
look slightly pock-marked.

Turn out into a shallow baking tray and let it dry out in a low oven - IF it
requires it.  It's ready.