This Dry Chicken Curry Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

• 1 medium skinless chicken – cut into small pieces
• 2 big Bombay onions – sliced thinly
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
• 5 dried chillies – tear into smaller pieces
•  Curry leaves –  2 sprigs
• Chilly powder – 1 heaped tablespoon or according to taste
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Lime/lemon juice – 1/4 to 1/2 lime (according to taste)
• Coconut milk – 1/4 cup or as desired
• Cooking oil -Coconut oil or olive oil

Spices (A):

• Cinnamon stick – 1 approximately 2 inches in length
• Star anise – 1 whole, break them into pieces
• Cloves – 4
• Fennel seeds – 1 teaspoon

Dry roast & grind (kerisek)

• Freshly grated coconut or desiccated coconut – 1 cup
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
• Roast the grated coconut in slow flame until it turns golden brown.
• Roast the other spices separately for 1 minute or until fragrant except for the black pepper, for about 10 seconds.

Method:

1. Add cooking oil in a deep wide pan.
2. Fry the spices (A) over low heat.
3. When they turn slightly brown, add in the fennel seeds.
4. Let it turn golden brown, then add in the sliced onions.
5. Allow them to turn golden brown over medium flame.
6. Add in the curry leaves for 2 – 3 minutes.
7. Then add in the ginger garlic paste and stir for 1 minute.
8. When it’s aromatic, add in the chicken and cover it immediately over high heat. This is to retain the flavour of the dish.
9. After 2 – 3 minutes, remove the cover and add the dried chillies, enough salt and turmeric.
10. Leave it to cook for a few minutes to absorb the salt and seal the juices of the chicken.
11. Add the chilly powder and allow it to cook for about 5 minutes.
12. Add in 1 chopped tomato. Leave it to cook over slow flame. The chicken will cook in its own juice.
13. When the chicken is cooked with a thick gravy, add in the  coconut milk
14. When the gravy is quite thick and nearly dried up, add in the lime juice. Taste for salt and chilly heat.
15. Sprinkle the ground coconut (kerisek). Cook over very low flame and stir until oil splits at the sides.
16. Garnish with coriander leaves. Switch off the flame and stir well.

Alternatively:

• You can add 2 big potatoes together with the chicken – cubed, same size as the chicken.
• Add enough salt, little turmeric and plain chilly powder.
• Cook or saute the potatoes separately with little oil until it’s nearly cooked.
• Add to the chicken towards the end but take care it doesn’t crumble or is too crunchy.