Chicken peratal

This medium-hot Malaysian-Indian curry comes from the mother of our senior sub-editor Selma Nadarajah, and is a firm favourite among the MasterChef Magazine team. Peratal is a typical dry Tamil curry. Omit the water in step 4 for an extra dry curry and halve the chilli for a milder version.

• 1.5kg chicken thigh fillets, each cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric (see note)
• 12 cloves garlic, crushed
• 160ml (2/3 cup) vegetable oil
• 8 small onions, (6 thinly sliced, 2 finely chopped)
• 3cm piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 4 sprigs curry leaves, (see note) leaves picked, plus extra, to serve
• 3 cinnamon quills
• 10 cardamom pods (see note)
• 5 star anise (see note)
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground fennel
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder (see note)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (see note)
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• SunRice Basmati Rice, to serve

Cucumber raita

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, coarsely grated
• 280g (1 cup) Farmers Union Greek Style Yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, plus extra, to serve

Energy 3674kJ	Fat saturated 14.00g
Fat Total 69.00g	Carbohydrate sugars 13.00g
Carbohydrate Total 15.00g	Dietary Fibre 4.00g
Protein 49.00g	Cholesterol 204.00mg
Sodium 677.32mg

All nutrition values are per serve.

1. Step 1

   Combine chicken, turmeric, two-thirds of the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

2. Step 2

   Heat 60ml (1/4 cup) oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add sliced onions and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Step 3

   Reduce heat to medium and add 60ml (1/4 cup) oil to the pan. Place half the chicken in a single layer in the pan and cook for 1 minute each side or until browned (make sure you only brown the chicken and not cook it all the way through). Transfer to a tray. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding a little extra oil, if necessary.

4. Step 4

   Wipe the pan clean, place over medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add remaining garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add curry leaves, cinnamon quills, cardamom pods, star anise, cumin, fennel, chilli powder and curry powder, and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add 125ml (1/2 cup) water and return the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly.

5. Step 5

   Meanwhile, to make cucumber raita, place cucumbers, yoghurt, mint and cumin in a bowl and stir to combine.

6. Step 6

   Stir sugar, soy sauce and sliced onions into the curry until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and top with extra curry leaves. Serve with rice and raita, sprinkled with extra cumin.

For more information about these spices, see our article on curry essentials.