Cape Malay Chicken Curry

(recipe from here)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, medium, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 (14 ounce) can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces (best to cut up a medium chicken)
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 -3 teaspoons salt 

Spice mix:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes (you can use fresh hot peppers to taste)
• 2 teaspoons fennel, ground (or 4 teaspoons whole fennel seeds)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ginger, fresh, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
• 15 cardamom pods (whole pods)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon garam masala (available from Indian shops, choose mild)

Step One

 Gather your spices together, and peel and chop the ginger. Put the 10 spices -- from the coriander seeds down to the garam masala -- in a mortar and pestle or even in a coffee bean grinder. Mash them together so the cardamom pods burst and the whole thing becomes a mess of spices.

Step Two

 Then heat the oil in a pot, add the onion over fairly high heat, and stir now and then, for a few minutes. Add the spices you mashed or grinded, and stir. You might need to add more oil: spices slurp up oil as they fry. Don't worry, you will be able to skim it off again later.

Step Three

 Stir and fry spices and onion for about 2 minutes. Add the can of chopped tomatoes and stir. The heat should be high enough so everything bubbles together.

Step Four

Add the chicken pieces, and stir to coat well, keeping heat high until everything is bubbling away.Turn heat way down until it just simmers, put on a lid, and cook for about 20 minutes.

Step Five

 Sprinkle over the garlic, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Simmer with lid at a small angle, for about 15 minutes more. Stir through, taste the sauce, and adjust seasoning to taste.

Step Four

 Please note that it is easy, near the end of cooking, to skim off extra oil/fat with a spoon, as it collects in corners of the pot. Serve this with rice.

ENJOY!!!!