Peranakan chicken curry

Freezer-friendly dishes - Part 3.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):
4 cloves garlic, peeled
A thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled
1 medium red onion, peeled
3 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
5 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 sprigs curry leaves
3 tbsp curry powder, mixed with 3 tbsp water to form a paste
1 chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tomatoes, quartered
2 green chillies, halved

Method:
1. Finely chop the garlic, ginger and onion, then blend into a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom saucepan and fry the paste with the cardamom seeds, star anise, cinnamon stick, and curry leaves till fragrant. Add the curry paste and fry for 3 minutes.
3. Remove the spice mix from the pan. Fry the chicken till it is brown and half-cooked.
4. Pour the spice mix back into the pan and coat the chicken well. When it starts to sizzle, add the yogurt, water, salt and pepper.
5. Let the curry simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, lower the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat, cool and freeze.
6. When reheating the curry, bring to a boil, add the tomatoes and green chillies and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with rice or bread.

Tips:
If your curry is made with coconut milk instead of yogurt, you shouldn't freeze the dish.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Aug 2008)