Southeast Asian Chicken Curry

1. Mix ground cinnamon, turmeric, garam masala, paprika, ginger, bay leaves, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick, lime leaf, and chile pepper together in a bowl.

2. Mix 1/2 of 1 yogurt container with 2 tablespoons of spice mixture and 1 tablespoon fish sauce in a bowl. Make deep cuts into the chicken thighs to allow sauce to penetrate. Coat chicken with yogurt mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.

3. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onion and garlic in the hot pot for 30 seconds; add remaining spice mixture and continue to stir-fry, 30 seconds more. Add chicken to the pan and fry until spices around chicken have darkened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add marinade and bring to a boil over high heat; continue to boil, covered, for 2 minutes.

4. Dissolve bouillon in water and add to the pot. Add remaining yogurt, remaining fish sauce, and sugar. Boil chicken in sauce until nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes.

5. Add tomato sauce; boil until chicken is no longer pink in the centers and sauce has completely thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Melt butter into mixture and cover. Turn off heat and let dish rest to let chicken absorb sauce, about 30 minutes.

Cook's Notes:

You can use ground cumin as a substitute for garam masala, if necessary.

If you do not have some of the ingredients, just omit them and continue cooking. Adjusting the powder ratios is up to you, but note the flavor will change. But yes, you could adjust them to your preferences, especially cumin since it adds a bitterness to curry.