Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat, then add the onion, curry leaves and whole spices and cook until the onion is golden brown, about 3–5 minutes.

But in my family, it was always just murgi tarkari, the Fiji Hindi words for chicken curry. When I researched the history of Fijian-Indian culture, it was a mess. In the 1800s when the British ...