Chicken curry Amma's dry version 1

Chicken curry is a staple here that there's not a week that goes by without it being on the lunch or dinner (or even breakfast and supper!) menu. Of course, there's many versions one can make chicken curry too - with lots of gravy to drown your rice in or a dry thick gravy it penetrates the chicken right to the bone.

Here's one of my mom's versions and my particular fave of the lot - especially since its filled with loads and loads of caramelly fried onions!

Chicken Curry - Amma's Dry Version 1
Ingredients:
1/2 a Chicken - cut into slightly larger than bite size pieces
1 tablespoon Chilli Powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 and a half tablespoon Meat Curry powder
Onions - lots of it sliced thinly (we use around 2 huge ones)
1/2 cm ginger - sliced
4 cloves garlic - slivered
3 Cardamom pods - pressed open
One Cinnamon stick
2 Star Anise
1/2 teaspoon of cumin (Jintan Putih)
3 tablespoons yogurt
Ghee
Salt to taste
4 - 5 Curry leaves

Method:
1. Marinade chicken pieces in chilli powder, meat curry powder, turmeric, salt, ginger pieces and yogurt. Leave for about an hour or so.
2. In a wok, heat ghee and throw in spices (cinnamon, star anise, cumin, cardomom), garlic, onions and curry leaves until it is sizzling and aromatic.
3. Add in chicken, stir well and leave to cook.
4. There is virtually no gravy in this dish as it is "dry" style. Once chicken is cooked and all the juices thickened up with the spices to cling to it, remove from heat and serve.

p/s: feel free to adjust the chilli powder quantity according to your preference as that's what gives "heat" to this dish.