If you want to make a really special chicken curry then this is the recipe for you, top it off with some homemade spiced flatbreads for a real treat.
For the spice paste, toast the spices in a pan slowly over a low heat until they are fragrant. Then grind in a spice grinder, add the ground spices to a blender and blend to a fine paste with the garlic, curry leaves, onions and coconut milk.
For the flatbread, put the flour, salt, curry leaves and fennel seeds in a mixing bowl. Mix them gently until combined. Add water in batches until you have a firm dough (use as little water as possible). Roll the dough into 8 small balls, cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
For the curry, heat the vegetable oil in a large pan. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and onions. Gently fry the onions until translucent, then add the red chilli powder followed by the spice paste. Cook for 15 minutes over a low heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the dessicated coconut. Season with salt and lemon juice.
When you are ready to cook the flatbread, dust a work surface with flour and roll the balls of dough out as thinly as possible with a rolling pin. Dry fry in a large pan for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. When cooked, brush both sides with clarified butter.
Serve the chicken curry with fennel and curry leaf flatbreads. Garnish with mustard cress and serve.
