Ingredients
Method
1.Remove as much fat as possible from the chicken thighs. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Crush cardamom pods lightly with a mallet and extract the seeds.
2.Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken thighs, smooth side down, and brown quickly; this is just to develop colour and flavour, not to cook them through. Transfer to a plate and season with salt.
3.Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan with onion, ginger, chilli and garlic. Turn heat to low and cook very gently for 10–12 minutes, until onion is very tender but not browned. Add chilli powder, cumin seeds, crushed coriander seeds, cardamom seeds and cloves and let the spices heat through. Add tomatoes and water. Bring to a gentle bubble then lower heat and cook gently for 10 minutes.
4.Stir coconut cream into sauce, and add chicken thighs, turning them to coat in sauce. Cover pan with a lid and cook gently for 20 minutes, turning thighs halfway through cooking.
5.Keep pan covered and let curry rest for 30 minutes.
6.Remove chicken thighs to a plate and heat sauce gently until bubbling. Reduce until thick. Return chicken to pan and heat through. Sprinkle with mint and serve.
Leftover coconut cream can be used up in rice dishes, or made into a quick sauce with a few squirts of lime juice, a little juice squeezed from grated ginger and a little crushed bird’s-eye chilli. Bubble it up and serve with steamed fish.
Note
