Hot Spicy Chicken in Coconut Recipe

Hot Spicy Chicken in Coconut Recipe

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

2-6 dried red chilies, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

5cm piece of cinnamon stick, broken up

seeds of 5 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

2.5cm piece root ginger, finely grated or 1½ teaspoons ginger puree

4 large garlic cloves, crushed to a pulp or 1½ teaspoons garlic puree

juice of 1 lime

700g skinned chicken thighs on the bone

1 teaspoon salt

3-4 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

90g creamed coconut, cut into small pieces

2-3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves

boiled basmati rice, to serve

Method:

Using a coffee or spice mill, grind the whole spices until they are fine and mix them with the ginger, garlic and lime juice to make a thick paste.  Put the chicken in a non-metallic bowl and add the spice paste and salt.  Mix until the pieces are thoroughly coated with the spice paste, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.  Bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking.  In a heavy-based saucepan, heat half the oil over a medium heat and add the chicken.  Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring and cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.  Let the chicken cook in its own juices for about 20 minutes then raise the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the cooking juices reduce to a paste-like consistency.  In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil over a medium heat and fry the onion until it is soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken, coconut and 250ml warm water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and stir until the coconut is dissolved.  Cover the pan and simmer for 5-6 minutes.  Stir in the coriander leaves and remove from the heat.  Serve with boiled basmati rice.