Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry

Steps

1. Slice the onion thinly.
2. Grater or mince the garlic and ginger into a paste.
3. Thin slice the red chili (optional) and thin slice the spring onion stem for garnish.
4. Place chicken thighs in a mixing bowl. Add coconut oil/olive oil, sliced onions, minced garlic, minced ginger, sea salt flakes, and black pepper.
5. Mix well to coat all ingredients.
6. Wrap the mixture in plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
7. Place a large pan on high heat. Add coconut oil/olive oil and melt it.
8. Scrape off sliced onions and reserve them in a bowl.
9. Sear chicken thighs flat-side down for 3 minutes until golden crust forms, then flip and sear the other side for another 3 minutes until golden all over (total searing time is about 6 minutes).
10. Remove seared chicken from the pan and set aside to chill while keeping the pan hot.
11. Add reserved onions, garlic, and ginger to the hot pan. Sauté for one minute, stirring regularly.
12. Add ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cloves, smoked paprika, ground turmeric, and whole cardamom pods. Stir frequently for one minute until fragrant.
13. Pour in chicken or vegetable stock. Stir through to deglaze the pan and simmer for one minute.
14. Add coconut milk and season with sea salt flakes. Mix well and bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally.
15. Once simmering, add desiccated coconut (optional).
16. Reintroduce seared chicken into the sauce, adding any juices left behind in the pan. Give it a gentle mix through.
17. Reduce heat to low and allow the curry to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every now and again.
18. While the curry simmers, place a saucepan on high heat with basmati rice, cold water, kaffir lime leaves, and sea salt flakes. Bring to a boil.
19. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and steam for 16 minutes untouched.
20. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, discard the kaffir lime leaves, and fluff the rice with a fork.
21. After 25 minutes of simmering, give the curry one final mix before turning off the heat.
22. Serve the chicken thighs over the fluffy basmati rice, topping generously with coconut gravy. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts (optional), thinly sliced spring onion stems, chilies (if using), and fresh coriander/cilantro.