Malaysian Chicken & Potato Curry

I've been to Malaysia many times and the whole region's food makes my mouth water almost instantly every time I think about it. I love spicy food, with lots of flavour and heat. Malaysia and Singapore share much of the same cuisine. Their standard chicken curry is finger lickin' good, and while I was down in Singapore staying with my cousin I learned how to make it.

Ideally you need a packet of chicken curry powder from Malaysia or Singapore, but in the absence of that you can use any Indian chicken curry powder, the hotter the better.

Lightly fry some star anise, cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom and a few cloves in some oil. Try not to use olive oil. Any other oil works just fine. Only fry for a couple minutes, and then throw in some finely chopped shallots, chopped garlic and sliced fresh ginger. You could also throw in a battered lemongrass stick if you have it. Once the shallots begin to go a bit translucent, chuck in diced chicken pieces or chicken on the bone (whichever you prefer), along with a few spoonfuls of curry powder and 2-3 finely chopped tomatoes. Sear the chicken for a few minutes in the pan, just sealing the flavours slightly. Don't cook the chicken fully. While it is still half cooked, add some coconut milk (or water if you don't have it) to loosen up the gravy and allow the chicken to finish cooking in the liquid. At this stage throw in a few diced potatoes. Add salt to taste, cover and simmer on a low flame for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve hot with a bowl of warm rice - just delicious!