Chicken curry in a potjie

This dish is cooked on a braai in a potjie pot. From Sannie Smit's Potjiekos Favourites.

Serves 6 to 8

15ml cooking oil
9 chicken thighs (about 1kg)
2 onions, cut into rings
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cardamompods
1 stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
30 ml chopped root ginger
1 small chilli, chopped
15ml mild curry powder
2ml turmeric
5ml ground coriander
3 whole cloves
1 can of whole tomatoes, chopped
6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
5ml salt
A few curry leaves

Heat the oil in a potjie and brown the chicken a few pieces at a time. Remove and set aside. Add the onion to the leftover oil in the potjie and sauté until transparent. Grind the spices (not the curry leaves or salt) into a paste with a mortar and pestle and add this mixture to the onion and fry gently for two minutes. Place the chicken on top of the onions and top with the tomatoes. Arrange the potatoes on top of the tomatoes and sprinkle with the salt and curry leaves. Cover and simmer gently for one-and-a-half hours.