Massaman Curry (Gaeng Massaman)

Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until they darken a shade and release a warm, earthy scent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl immediately so they do not continue to cook.

Add the coriander seeds, cloves, and cardamom pods to the same skillet. Toast over medium-high heat, moving them constantly, until the coriander seeds turn a shade darker and the kitchen fills with a complex, floral aroma, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the cumin.

Grind all the toasted spices to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Add the ground cinnamon and nutmeg. If using a mortar, add the red curry paste and shrimp paste and pound until well combined. If using a grinder, transfer the spice powder to a small bowl and stir in the curry paste and shrimp paste with a spoon until evenly blended. Set aside.

If you want deeper flavor, brown the chicken first. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in a single layer without crowding. Let it sear undisturbed for about 4 minutes until the skin is golden and releases easily from the pot. Turn and sear the other side briefly. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces. Pour off the excess fat from the pot, but leave the browned bits on the bottom. If you prefer to skip this step, proceed directly to the next one.

Add about 125 ml of the coconut milk to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the curry paste and stir to dissolve it into the coconut milk. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and you see the oil begin to separate and pool around the edges of the paste. The color will deepen to a rich, rusty orange. If the oil does not separate after 4 minutes, some coconut milks are processed to prevent this, so move on.

Pour in the remaining coconut milk and stir until the sauce is smooth and uniform. Add the palm sugar, half of the fish sauce, and half of the tamarind paste. Drop in the bay leaves (tear them in half first to release more fragrance), and the star anise and cinnamon quill if using. Stir to combine.

Nestle the chicken pieces into the sauce along with any juices that collected on the plate. The chicken should be nearly submerged. If not, add a splash of water to bring the liquid level up. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pot and cook for 35 minutes. The sauce should barely bubble. Check once or twice to make sure the heat is not too high.

After 35 minutes, the chicken should be nearly tender but not yet falling off the bone. A layer of orange-tinted coconut oil will float on the surface, which is the traditional look of massaman. Skim some off if you prefer a leaner sauce, but a moderate amount of oil on top is desirable. Add the potatoes, onion wedges, and half of the peanuts. Push the potatoes down so they are just submerged. If the liquid does not cover them, add water in small increments until it does. The onions will wilt down on their own.

Raise the heat slightly and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes slide easily off a fork with no resistance. The sauce will have thickened further during this time.

Turn off the heat. Taste the sauce carefully. It should taste strongly seasoned, sweet and savory with a gentle sourness from the tamarind cutting through the coconut richness. Add more fish sauce for salt, more tamarind for brightness, or a pinch more sugar if needed. Remember it will be served over plain rice, so season it a little more intensely than you might eat on its own. Remove the bay leaves, star anise, and cinnamon quill if you used them.

Ladle the curry into bowls over jasmine rice. Scatter the remaining peanuts over the top and serve immediately.