Warming chicken curry

This is amazing, can be made ahead and frozen and other meat or tofu would also work well.

Paste/marinade

1tsp fennel seeds

1 star anise

3 cloves

1tsp dried chilies

5 black peppercorns

3 pink peppercorns

1 onion chopped

2/3 tin full fat coconut milk

6 chicken breasts skin off chopped into bite size pieces

Finishing the sauce

1oz butter or ghee

1 cinnamon stick

½ green chilli

1tbsp tomato puree

1 stock cube diluted with 250ml water

Steps

1.     Toast the spices from the paste until fragrant then grind in a pestle and mortar

2.     Toss into a food processor with the chopped onion and coconut milk and blend to a thick paste

3.     Toss over the chicken, turn to coat and marinade at least for an hour, preferably over night

4.     Heat the butter until it sizzles, add the cinnamon stick and chilli and fry for a minute over a hot heat, add in the chicken pieces, reserve the marinade and brown the chicken on both sides then remove from the heat and set aside

5.     Add the rest of the marinade to a pot, add the stock and whisk to combine, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, then add in the chicken mix and cook for at least 15 minutes over a medium heat, lid off to reduce the sauce a bit. Dont let it get too think and if it does, simply add a bit more water or the leftover coconut milk. Taste the sauce and add seasoning including a spoon of palm sugar if needed.

6.     Serve with some fresh chopped coriander and rice. If you like it hotter, slice a chilli on the top.