Singapore Chicken Curry

Having been born in Singapore to parents who were quite fond of curry and other spicy foods, it's probably not surprising that I have grown up to also love these foods.  One of my all time favourite curries is Singapore chicken curry, because it has a delicious mix of spices and flavours (and it has potatoes, which I adore).  I've taught the rest of the Cheeky Monkeys family to love this curry too, and I thought I would share my version of the recipe with you!

Ingredients

- 1.2 kg chicken drumsticks (or 800g diced chicken thigh fillets if you don't want the mess of picking bones out of your meal)

- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1cm wide pieces

- 4-6 potatoes (depending on size), peeled and cut into 2.5cm dice

- 1 onion, finely diced

- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, bruised with your knife

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

- 3cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

- 5 cardomom pods, crushed with the flat of your knife

- 6 dried cloves

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 8-10 curry leaves

- 1-2 Tb meat curry powder, or to taste (I like to use Alagappa's Meat Curry Powder, or similar)

- 420g canned tomatoes (optional)
- 1/2 can of coconut milk (optional)

- warm water, as needed

Method

1. Fry the onions until starting to soften, then add in the ginger, garlic, curry powder and dry spices.  Fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

2. Add the chicken to the pan and fry quickly until browned.

3. Add the lemongrass, vegetables, coconut milk and canned tomatoes (if using).  Pour in enough warm water to just cover the chicken and vegetables.  Simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chicken and vegetables are fully cooked.  If the curry gets too dry, top up with a little hot water.

4. Serve the curry with rice and stir-fried or steamed vegetables (ignore my peas and corn, I had had a VERY tiring day and didn't have the energy to whip up a veggie stir fry too).