Tony Tan’s chicken pepper stir-fry

1.For spice paste, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add coconut, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns and cinnamon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until coconut is golden brown. Add ground spices and cook for another minute. Cool and transfer to a blender. Add 200ml water and blend to a fine paste.

2.Heat ghee or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and as soon as they pop, add curry leaves, ginger and green chilli. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened (2-3 minutes). Add onion and cook until golden brown (2-3 minutes). Add garlic, followed by tomatoes and spice paste, stirring each ingredient for a minute, before adding the next one. Season to taste with salt.

3.Add chicken to the pan and cook until golden (2-3 minutes). Add 250ml hot water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover pan partially with a lid and cook until chicken is tender and the liquid is well reduced (3-4 minutes). Serve stir-fry sprinkled with black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and with extra fried curry leaves.