Curb your craving for curry
Slice chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes, then season generously with salt on each side (roughly 2 tbsp), then set aside.
Aim for a rough mince here: the onions will have plenty of time to break down as you build the layers of your curry, so you should give them time to break down at their leisure.
Next, prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Finely mince the ginger and garlic, then transfer to mortar and pestle.
Once you've prepped your chicken and veg, you're ready to begin.
Start by introducing whole spices to create the foundation of your curry. We recommend cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, fennel, and corriander seeds, but you can use whatever your favorite spices suit your personal preference.
Some other common spices to include here are:
As spices toast and become aromatic, scoop them out and let them cool. Once cooled, remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and set them aside, then crush the remaining spices in a mortar and pestle.
If you happen to have a spice mill, you can grind the tempered cinnamon sticks and bay leaves with ease, and even facilitates making this spice mix in bulk so you can add it into a dish and avoiding the prep ahead of time.
Add chicken thighs to the already hot oil, then brown on each side on medium heat (about 3 minutes on each side).
Remove chicken thighs and set aside. Add onions and sautee until they start to turn translucent.
After about 5 minutes, when the onions have turned translucent, clear a small space in the middle of the pot, then add the ginger-garlic paste. Let the paste absorb some of the heat for about a minute, then stir everything together.
Now that the heartier ingredients have endured the enduring heat of the pot and lent their flavor to the dish in return, it's safe to include the ground spices from like tumeric and chili powder that can lend their witchcraft without being overwhelmed by the heat of the burner gods.
Let everything cook together for at least 45 minutes, but if dinner isn't scheduled for a while, you can also let it simmer on medium-low heat for up to an hour and a half.
Here's where you'd prep some rice. We end up using a rice cooker most of the time here, but given the importance of rice, here's a foolproof stovetop recipe for a full two servings of rice.
In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. While the water is heating up, rinse rice in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Once water is boiling, add rice then reduce heat to medium and set a timer for 20 minutes.
Once the rice is about halfway done, add 1/2 cup of yogurt to the curry, stirring regularly. Once the yogurt has been incorporated, reduce heat to low until the rice is done.
Taste the curry and season with additional salt or chili powder to taste.