This recipe seems dense but when making a curry powder it is well worth toasting and grinding whole spices for a beautiful robust flavour. If you have neither the time nor desire for this step don’t fret -you can mix pre ground spices! There is also the appearance of Pandan which is a delight to cook with and a flavour you won’t forget quickly!

Ingredients

• 2 tbs coriander seeds
• 2 tbs cumin seeds
• 1 tbs fennel seeds
• 6 cardamom pods cracked
• 6 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick roasted and ground into a powder

• 1kg chicken thigh, bone in
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 red chilli
• 1 green chilli
• 1 thumb sized ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 7cm piece of Pandan leaf
• 1/2 lemongrass
• 400ml coconut milk
• 200ml coconut cream
• juice of 1 lime

Method

1. Brown your meat in a pan and remove, using the same pan add 1 tbs of oil and fry onion, garlic cloves, ginger with curry leaves, red and green chilli.
2. Add chicken, curry powder, 1/2 bruised lemongrass and Pandan leaf, stir to coat the chicken.
3. Add 400ml of coconut milk and chopped tomatoes, simmer and reduce for 30 minutes. If it looks a little dry, add a splash more water. At the end add the coconut cream and season with salt and lime juice to taste.