750g skinless bone-in chicken, jointed and cut into small pieces
3tbsp vegetable oil
12 curry leaves
70g onion, finely chopped
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
approx. 3tsp tamarind paste, to taste
chopped coriander leaves, to garnish (optional)
rice or soft dosas, to serve
For the spice paste (ghassi)
3tbsp freshly grated coconut
1tbsp vegetable oil
70g onion, thinly sliced
8 dried Kashmiri chillies
1/2tsp black peppercorns
2tbsp coriander seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1/4tsp fenugreek seeds
160ml coconut cream
chopped coriander leaves, to garnish
Method
Put the garlic in a small food processor with a splash of water and blend to a paste, then transfer to a bowl with the turmeric and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken, mix well and set aside to marinate.
Meanwhile, make the spice paste. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat, add the coconut and toast for 6-7 minutes, stirring a few times as it begins to turn light brown. Transfer the coconut to a bowl. Add the oil to the pan, then add the onion and fry over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until starting to brown. Add the chillies, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Fry all the spices in the pan for 7-8 minutes, stirring a couple of times as they release their aroma and flavour.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then transfer this spice mix to a food processor with the coconut cream and toasted coconut. Blend to a smooth, fine paste. You won’t need any more water as the paste should be thick and a vibrant red colour.
To make the curry, heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the curry leaves and onion and fry for 7-8 minutes until the onion starts to colour, stirring often. Add the marinated chicken and fry for 6-7 minutes to seal the pieces. Add the spice paste and stir well, coating the chicken in the paste. Fry for a further 3 minutes, then add 300ml water and season with salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Add the cinnamon and tamarind paste, stir well and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then garnish with coriander and serve with rice or dosas.
Recipes and photos taken from Curry by Maunika Gowardhan, photography by Haarala Hamilton (Quadrille, £26)
