Chicken Curry with Toasted Spices

1. 1Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for about 90 seconds, until they darken a shade and smell nutty. Grind them to a powder. Pre-ground spices have already lost most of what you are toasting for.
2. 2Heat the ghee in a heavy pan and add the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds — this is the tempering step, and it puts the spice into the fat, which is what carries it through the whole dish.
3. 3Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring often. They will go soft, then blond, then a deep jammy brown. This is the longest step and the one that matters most; at 10 minutes you have soft onions and a thin curry.
4. 4Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
5. 5Add the ground toasted spices, turmeric and chilli powder and stir for 60 seconds. If the pan looks dry add another spoon of ghee — ground spices burn in seconds on a dry surface and turn bitter.
6. 6Tip in the tomatoes and cook hard for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture darkens and you can see oil separating out at the edges. That separation is the signal the base is done.
7. 7Add the chicken and turn it through the masala to coat. Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
8. 8Take the pan off the heat and let it stop bubbling before stirring in the yoghurt a spoonful at a time. Yoghurt added to a boiling pan splits into grains. Return to the lowest heat for 5 minutes, season, and finish with the coriander.

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