Crafts and Life

2 heaped teaspoons cumin seeds
2 heaped teaspoons coriander seeds
1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground fenugreek
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 large green chilli, roughly chopped
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
3-4 tablespoons sunflower or groundnut oil
1 chicken, jointed into six pieces, or six skin on, boatmen chicken pieces weighing about 1.5 kg in total
400 g tin of tomatoes
400 ml tin of coconut milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

If you've got the time, toast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a dry frying pan for a minute or two, until fragrant. Grind the whole spices (toasted or otherwise) to a rough powder in a spice grinder or the pestle and mortar, then mix with the turmeric and fenugreek.

Put the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger in a food processor or blender. Blitz to a coarse paste, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken pieces, season well and browned all over, making sure you get the skin and good colour. Transfer them to a large roasting dish, skin side up. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Reduce the heat under the frying pan, add the spice mix and fry for a minute or two, then add the onion paste. Fry, stirring frequently, for about five minutes, until the paste is soft, fragrant and reduced in volume. Add a little more oil if it seems to be sticking.

Tip the tomatoes and coconut milk into the food processor (no need to wash it out first) and blitz to combine. Pour into a frying pan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and a grinding of pepper, then pour the sauce over the chicken pieces. Make sure they are all coated in the sauce, then push most of the sauce off the top of the chicken – if there's too much sauce sitting on them, the skin won't brown in the oven.

Place in an oven preheated to 180°C/gas Mark four. Bake, uncovered, for one hour or until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned on top, turning and basting it a couple of times. Serve with lots of Basmati rice to soak up the sauce.

Serves six – taken from River Cottage every day by Hugh Fearnley–Whittingstall