If you are using boneless skinless chicken, cut them into bite-size and rub the turmeric powder and salt all over the chicken
Prepare spice paste:
Place all ingredients for the spice paste in a food processor and process until it's a paste consistency
Pan fry the chicken (skip if you are using boneless skinless chicken):
Rub the turmeric powder and salt all over the chicken Preheat 1/4 cup of oil in a large pot or skillet. When the oil is hot enough, pan fry the chicken until they are golden brown. This step will not cook the chicken, it's only to brown the chicken. Remove from the oil and set aside
Cooking on the stove:
Remove some of the oil from the pot or skillet, leaving about 2 Tbsp. Add the spice paste and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add lemongrass stalks and star anise. Continue to stir fry for another minute. Add the tomato paste and ketchup and stir fry for another 10 seconds. Add the water followed by sugar, salt, and cinnamon powder. Stir to mix everything. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing catches at the bottom
Add the pan-fried chicken or the boneless chicken pieces into the pot and bring to a simmer. Close the lid and lower the heat to simmer and let the chicken braised until they are cooked through and tender. The boneless chicken pieces will cook faster, probably in 8-10 minutes, whereas the bone-in chicken will cook in about 30 minutes or so
Stir in the tomato pieces and continue to cook until the tomatoes started to soft, but not turning into a mush. Have a taste test. Add more salt and/or sugar as needed. It should be savory and spicy. Garnish with few sprigs of fresh cilantro leaves
Cooking with Instant Pot pressure cooker:
Rub the turmeric powder and salt all over the chicken (whether you use bone-in skin-on chicken or boneless skinless chicken). Press saute on Instant pot. When it's hot. Preheat 1/4 cup of oil in the inner pot of the instant pot. Skip this step if you are using boneless skinless chicken
When the oil is hot enough, shallow fry the chicken until they are golden brown on the skin. This step will not cook the chicken, it's only to brown the chicken. Remove from the oil and set aside
Remove some of the oil from the pot or skillet, leaving about 2 Tbsp. Add the spice paste and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add lemongrass stalks and star anise. Continue to stir fry for another minute. Add the tomato paste and ketchup and stir fry for another 10 seconds. Add the water followed by sugar, salt, and cinnamon powder. Stir to mix everything. Make sure you scrape the bottom of pot to make sure nothing catches at the bottom. Turn off saute mode
Add the chicken pieces into the pot . Close the lid. Turn the pressure release valve to sealing. Press pressure cooker and make sure it's on high pressure. Set the timer to 20 minutes for bone-in chicken pieces. If you are using boneless chicken, set the timer to 2 minutes
Release the pressure immediately when the timer is up. Carefully unlock the lid and stir in the tomato pieces. The residual heat will soften the tomato pieces without turning them into a mush. Have a taste and add more salt and/or sugar to your taste. Garnish with few sprigs of fresh cilantro leaves