Mum's chicken curry

This is the kind of curry that announces itself long before dinner. Curry leaves crackle in hot ghee, onions cook down until deeply golden, and chicken slowly absorbs the warmth of Fiji curry powder and whole spices. This is Fuzz Ali’s mum’s version of an Indo-Fijian family favourite.

• serves

  6

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1.5–2 kg whole chicken, cut into curry pieces
• 1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
• 12 cloves garlic
• 4–5 red chillies
• 2.5 cm piece ginger
• 1 x 400 g can whole peeled tomatoes
• ¼ cup ghee
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2–3 heaped tbsp Fiji curry powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 star anise
• 5 cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 generous handful coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp jaggery (or brown sugar)
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, chillies, ginger, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of black peppercorns into a rough paste. Set aside.

2. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy based pot over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom pods, cloves and cumin seeds and cook until fragrant. Add the curry leaves and let them sizzle briefly in the hot ghee.

3. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring regularly, until deeply caramelised and golden, around 10-15 minutes.

4. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and break them up with the back of a spoon. Stir in the chilli, garlic and ginger paste, mix well, and bring everything up to a gentle bubble.

5. Add the Fiji curry powder, then season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Stir well.

6. Add the chicken pieces and turn them through the curry base so they are well coated. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the chicken releases its juices and becomes tender, around 25-30 minutes.

7. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir through the chopped coriander. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens and the ghee begins to separate slightly from the curry. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed.

8. Serve hot with steamed rice or fresh roti, making sure to spoon plenty of the sauce over the top.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.