Chicken With Spices and Soy Sauce

• chicken↗1 1⁄3 kg

  jointed and cut into pieces (I use chicken wings and breast)

• onions↗3

  sliced

• water↗1 liter
• garlic cloves↗3

  crushed

• fresh red chilies↗2

  seeded and sliced or 2 chili powder

• vegetable oil↗45 ml
• ground nutmeg↗2 1⁄2 ml
• whole cloves↗6
• tamarind paste5 ml
• soy sauce↗2 -3 tablespoons

  light or dark

• salt↗
• plain boiled rice1 -2 cup

  to serve

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the prepared chicken pieces in a large pan with one of the sliced onions. Pour over enough water to just cover. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for about 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Grind the remaining onions with the garlic and chillies to a fine paste in a food processor or with a pestle and mortar. Heat a little of the oil in a wok or frying pan and cook the paste to bring out the flavour. Do not allow the paste to brown.

3. 3

   When the chicken has cooked for 20 minutes, lift out of the stock and into they spicy mixture. Toss everything together over a fairly high heat so that the spices permeate the chicken pieces. Reserve 300ml of the chicken stock to add to the pan later.

4. 4

   Stir in the nutmeg and cloves. Strain the tamarind and add the tamarind juice and the soy sauce to the chicken. Cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes, then add the reserved stock. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste and cook, uncovered for a further 25 - 35 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender.

5. 5

   Transfer the chicken to a bowl, topped with the shredded green and red chillies, and serve with plain boiled rice.

6. 6

   Tip: Day soy sauce is thicker and more salty than light. Adding the dark variety will give a deeper colour to the chicken.