KOZHI KURUMULAGU (SPICY SOUTHERN INDIAN BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN)

This recipe was supplied by the chef of the Kayal restaurant group in the Midlands, which specialises in healthy southern Indian food.

NUTRITION FACTS

(per serving) Calories 586 | Total Fat 32g | Sat Fat 7g | Carbs 18g | Fibre 2g | Protein 65g

Serves 4 3 green cardamom pods, very lightly crushed 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 cinnamon sticks 3 cloves 2 heaped tbsp black peppercorns 1 tsp melted ghee 2 heaped tbsp cashew nut kernels 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter (see tip) 1 tsp mustard seeds 6 shallots, finely chopped 2½cm (1in) piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped Small handful of curry leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish 3 tsp ground coriander 2 level tsp turmeric 5 medium tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped 1kg (2¼lb) boneless chicken meat, cut into small bitesize chunks 250ml (8¾fl oz) coconut milk Salt, to taste Toast the cardamom, fennel, cinnamon and cloves in a small heavy-based frying pan until the spices begin to brown and release their aromatic oils. Remove from the heat and allow the spices to cool before grinding them to a powder in a pestle and mortar.

To make the black pepper paste, put the black peppercorns in a grinder and blitz to a gritty powder. Add 1 tablespoon of water and stir before adding the melted ghee. Stir again and set aside.

To make the cashew paste, boil the cashew nut kernels in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Drain and blitz briefly in a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon of water and blitz to a paste.

Heat the ghee or butter in a deep heavy-based pan, then add the mustard seeds. Once they start to ping about, lower the heat and add the shallots. Cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent, then add the ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Stir well then cook for 2 minutes. Add the coriander, turmeric and 4 tablespoons of the black pepper paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook on a medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the roasted and ground spice mixture to the pan, stir and cook for 5 minutes with the lid off.

Add the chicken to the pan with a little salt and cook, stirring, until the chicken has turned white. Add enough water to cover the chicken, put a lid on and cook for 15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of the cashew paste and the coconut milk and keep on the heat till the chicken is fully cooked. You should end up with an almost broth-like sauce. Garnish with a few curry leaves and serve immediately.

TIP Clarified butter is easy to prepare yourself. Put the butter in a heavy-based pan over a low heat and melt it. A white froth will appear on the surface, which you should remove with a spoon. Now you will see a clear yellow-tinged layer of fat sitting on top of a milky cloudy layer. Carefully pour the yellow fat into a bowl and discard the milky residue left in the pan.