When I lived in Singapore, I developed a real tooth for Indian food since the really good, authentic stuff was available all over the place. Here in Beijing, we have some pretty decent Indian places too, which makes it so much easier to go out and get it when you want it instead of slaving over the pots and pans at home.

But then I think of the future, possibly sitting in a Swedish suburb somewhere, and craving nothing more than a simple roti or curry… with none to be found. The horror!

So this week I have decided to start learning how to make a decent Indian meal at home once and for all before the tragedy becomes reality.

This curry was super simple and really tasty. It comes from the South of India where they do not go in for the creamy, buttery tastes of the north but that suits me just fine. The end result was delicious and left me longing for the left overs that I will have for lunch tomorrow. Always a good sign!

This will feed 4 and takes about 40 minutes:

1 1/2 kg chicken, cut into bite size chunks
6 medium onions
4 fresh green chilies, seeded
4 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 tbs finely grated fresh ginger
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tbs ground cumin
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 tbs butter (or even better ghee, if you can get it)
3 tbs oil
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 dl water
3 tsp salt

Cut half of the onions into thin slices and set aside. Roughly chop the rest of the onions and blend in a mixer with the chilies, garlic and ginger until you get a puree. Mix in the ground spices. Heat butter (or ghee) and oil in a large saucepan and fry the sliced onions, stirring frequently, until they become nice and golden. Get the onions out of the pan leaving as much fat as possible, and set aside. Add the blended onion puree mixture the remaining oil and fry on medium heat, stirring until it starts to brown and you see oil around the edges. Add the tomatoes, stir and cook until liquid from tomatoes is almost evaporated. Add the chicken pieces and stir well. Add water and salt, cover and cook for 35 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add the fried onions, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with rice or parathas, listening to your favorite Bollywood tune.