Ingredients
- Amah's chicken curry
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk curry leaves, plucked and minced
- 1kg boneless chicken thigh fillets, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups (500ml) thick coconut milk
- 6-8 whole curry leaves
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- Fresh juice of 1 lime
- Fried onion rings
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter
- 2 small onions, thinly sliced into rings
- Amah's curry powder
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted and ground
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted and ground
- 1 tbsp ground red pepper
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp ground cassia or cinnamon
Method
For the onion rings Heat the ghee in a skillet and saute onion rings over medium heat until golden and crisp (about 2-3 minutes). Remove onion rings and drain on paper towels.
For the curry Grind the garlic and ginger to a smooth paste in a mortar.
Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the ground paste and chopped onion until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add the minced curry leaf and stir-fry for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until the meat changes colour.
Combine the curry powder ingredients and stir-fry until well mixed. Pour in 1 cup of the coconut milk, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining coconut milk, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the curry has thickened, (3-5 minutes). Add the whole curry leaves and season with the sugar (if desired), salt and pepper, stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired and remove from the heat. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the fried onion rings and drizzle the lime juice over the top. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
