I will be the pattern of all patience; I will say nothing.

Right before we left for the states those years back, some sort of panic came over me, and I started hogging these Prima Taste Packs like I’m moving to a far flung corner of the Third World. My mom and dad shook their heads in disdain, warning me no good (taste) would come of it, but I figured it was somewhere to start. Turns out, in many ways, it’s very Third World-esque here. Oh, and my folks were right. On the dot.

Anyway. Turns out curry is ridiculously easy and quick to make. All you need is steaming hot white rice or a baguette to go with it. The best part is I love how scalable it is. You can make a tiny batch just enough for dinner and maybe tomorrow’s lunch (tastes better the next day, actually).

Here’s what I did for my jaw-dropping, appetite-satisfying chicken curry. Serves 2 for dinner (and lunch the next day).
Ingredients

1/2 a large white onion, or a bunch of shallots

2 boneless chicken thighs, cut up into bite sized pieces – I usually marinate it with sesame oil and soy sauce

4 small potatoes, cut up into bite sized pieces (a fairly waxy or hard potato will hold up better than a fluffy one – so I go for the red or white potatoes, not RB)

curry powder (I like Earthern Pot meat curry powder) – I don’t measure it out, but I probably use 1/3 of a package

broth (or water) to make enough gravy you desire

yogurt or sour cream or coconut milk or (even) evaporated milk – I like yogurt/sour cream cause I always have that in the fridge

Process of putting it together
To start: Heat a small wok with enough oil to cover the onions well. I usually sprinkle some salt in there for the onions (and lemongrass, garlic, ginger, etc if I’m in the mood). Toss in the onions, and saute until soft (pretty quick).

Main event: This is where I toss in the potatoes, mix them up a bit with the onions, and let it cook for another 5 minutes or so (with the heat turned down to medium so the onions don’t burn). If you’re in a super hurry, boil the potatoes separately while you are heating up the wok. When the potatoes are half done, add the chicken, and let it brown. Then give it a good stir, add in the curry powder, stir more, add the broth (or water – I even used the boiled potato water once, earthy!) and stir till well combined. Add salt to taste.

Finale: Finally, stir in the yogurt, sour cream or coconut milk to thicken.

Good with steamed rice, though if the gravy is thick enough, I like it served on egg noodles (which for some reason tends to water down my curry despite my best efforts).

There. Easy peasy.