Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• Chicken - 500 g
• Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon sticks - 2 whole
• Clove - 6 whole
• Onion - 2 whole
• Garlic - 5 clove
• Ginger - 1 piece
• Red chilli - 6 whole
• Coriander leaves (a handful)
• Onion - 2 whole
• Tomato - 2 whole
• Ghee
• Salt
• Curry leaves

Instructions

1. 1Heat a little ghee in a small skillet and fry the grated coconut until it turns deep golden brown, then transfer it to a plate to cool so it does not continue to darken.
2. 2Place the cooled fried coconut in a blender with 2 tsp coriander seeds, 2 whole cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, 2 whole onions, 5 clove garlic, 1 piece ginger, 6 whole red chilli and a handful of coriander leaves; grind to a smooth paste, adding a tablespoon of water if the mixture is too thick.
3. 3Heat 2 tsp ghee in a kadai or large pan over medium heat and fry the remaining 2 whole onions (chopped) until they are brown and fragrant, which builds a deep base flavor.
4. 4Add 500 g chicken pieces and 2 whole tomatoes (chopped) to the pan, season with salt, then stir on low fire for 10 minutes so the chicken starts to release juices and the tomatoes begin to break down.
5. 5Stir in the ground masala paste and add a little water to loosen the sauce to your preferred consistency, scraping any browned bits from the pan so they fold into the curry.
6. 6Cook the chicken curry until it is quite dry, stirring occasionally so the masala evenly coats the pieces and the flavors concentrate.
7. 7Garnish with curry leaves just before serving for a fresh aromatic finish.
8. 8Optional: serve with steamed rice or warm flatbreads, if desired.