The seafaring Portuguese introduced chillies to the beautiful Tamil Nadu region of South India and Tamil dishes make the most of them. Since many people are vegetarians, this chicken dish is unusual. Local birds are hardy, free-range specimens – I have substituted tender Western chicken and so the cooking time is relatively brief, but please yourself in this matter. Allow a much longer simmering time if you choose an older bird and suit the volume of fresh chilli to your own palate: Tamils prefer it incendiary. To mellow some of the heat, remove the membranes as well as the seeds.

Serves 4

4-6 tbsp butter ghee or peanut oil
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2-4 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
8 skinless chicken pieces, patted dry with kitchen paper
250ml boiling chicken stock or water
450ml canned coconut milk
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp plain flour
a large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped about 500ml by volume
salt

Roasted spices:
1 tsp crushed dried chillies, bruised
1 tbsp coriander seeds, bruised
1 tsp black peppercorns, bruised
1 tsp cumin seeds or caraway seeds
1 tbsp ground turmeric

1. To roast the spices, put the dried chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin or caraway seeds and turmeric in a dry frying pan and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Push the spices to one side, add half the butter ghee or oil to the frying pan, add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ghee or oil, garlic, ginger, half the green chillies and the chicken. Stir-fry for about 8-10 minutes until the chicken is golden. Add the stock or water and about 375 ml of the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about about 30-40 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, then add salt and extra green chilli, to taste.
3. Mix the remaining coconut milk into the flour, then stir into the chicken mixture and increase the heat until the sauce thickens evenly.
4. Top with the chopped coriander leaves and serve with other Indian dishes such as coconut rice or chapattis.

Source: Chicken from Maryland to Kiev by Clare Ferguson (Ryland, Peters & Small, £16.99)

More chicken recipes from Clare Ferguson:
Spicy Thai Chicken Soup
Chicken Pot Pie
French Roast Chicken
Chicken Piri-Piri
Nigerian Peanut and Chicken Stew

To order your copy of Chicken from Maryland to Kiev by Clare Ferguson for the special price of £13.99 including postage and packing (normal price £16.99), call Macmillan Direct on: 01256 302 699 and quote reference GLR 759