[Recipe] Make Delicious Indian-Inspired Chicken Curry At Home!

Do you like curry? I have to admit, curry rice is my favorite food of all time and its one of few cooking that I can eat at any time of day on any season. I can eat curry everyday. My wife thinks I’m crazy.

Today, I’d like to share some amazing recipe that I have stumbled upon on Japanese website that changed my homemade curry game FOREVER. Since the original website is all in Japanese, I figured it will be good idea to share the recipe in English as I go through the cooking. This is recipe you do not want to miss.

This recipe has two important key words. Speed and stir. No matter what, do not stop stirring the pot as it will cause the ingredients to burn and it will end in bad results e.g., burnt stock pot and smoke alarm beats your eardrums to deaf. Always keep your eyes on the pot and stir. stir. stir. non-stop. Ok?

Please note my recipe calls for 8 servings because I am lazy this curry is absolutely delicious and the original recipe only calls for 4 serving worth of ingredients, which I can guarantee, is never enough. Trust me. That being said, if you wish to make trial size dish go ahead and half the ingredients.

Ingredients (for 8 servings):
[A] — These are spices for aroma.
・2 Sticks Whole Cinnamon
・8g Whole Cloves
・8g Whole Green Cardamom
・4 Bay Leaves
・12g Ground Brown Cardamom (Use whole spice if you can find them. I couldn’t find it at my store)

[B] — These are spices for taste.
・12g Ground Chili Powder.
・12g Ground Coriander Seeds.
・12g Turmeric.
・34g Salt.

[C]
・2 1/2 large Yellow Onion.
・2 Cloves of Garlic.
・40g Fresh Ginger.
・2 Tomatoes.

[D]
・4lbs. Chicken Thighs.
・1 1/2 tbsp Yogurt.
・5 Potatoes.

[E]
・4 Green Thai Chili Peppers.
・10g Fresh Cilantro (Coriander).

・Water (about 500-1000g)

Here’s some tip: It will make your life significantly easier if you arrange the ingredients in the order of use. From closest↓ to the furthest↑, left→to→right. This way you can quickly grab the ingredients to add to pot without pausing.

Recipe:

1. Prepare the ingredients. This step is the most time consuming yet the most important part of the recipe. Play some good cooking music and enjoy.

Specific cutting instructions are captioned under the pictures below.

Plate spice ingredients [A] and [B] ideally in a separate plate for each but you can also use two big plates, one to put all the spices [A] and the other plate for spices [B].
Chop potatoes to about 1 cubic inch pieces.
Vegetables [C] [E]: Mince onion, garlic, tomatoes, ginger, cilantro, and chili peppers into small bits.
Remove skin and chop chicken to small chunks about 1-inch size. Put them in a big bowl and marinate with 1 1/2 tbsp yogurt. This will make chicken extra tender!

2. Get the biggest stock pot available and heat 150ml vegetable oil until it gets very hot. Fry the spice in group [A]. Stir stir stir non-stop. Keep stirring until spice pops. Do not let them burn. Goal here is to let the whole spices open to release the aroma.

3. Add onion. Keep stirring. Fry it until the edges start to get crispy. Again, stir non-stop so the content do not get burn. Burning is bad.

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4. Add [C] garlic then tomatoes then ginger. Keep stirring until everything is well mixed.

5. Add spices in group [B] — Ground spices are taste agents for your delicious curry. Again, do not burn the content! Keep stirring and cook down the ingredients. You want to boil out as much water as possible. Once the consistency become somewhat like thick paint add chicken.

6. Lower the fire and use your muscle and excellent spatula work to mix the content. Turn the entire content with spatula thoroughly to douse the chicken with delicious spice paste. Bring the fire to high and keep stirring until the chicken is fully cooked. …Remember that key word?

7. Now add potatoes and turn the content with spatula, vigorously. Once the potatoes are well seasoned with spices add the water just enough to cover the ingredients inside the pot like floating islands. See the picture above for reference. Add [E] chili peppers and cilantro and bring the pot to boil. Once the pot reaches boiling point bring the fire down to low and cover. Shimmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are thoroughly cooked.

Completion!

Serve the curry on hot steamy rice and enjoy!

For the starter, it might be easier to keep the fire at medium/high to avoid burning (because this can be tricky especially for the first 2 steps). Overall cooking takes around 15 to 20 minutes (plus 15+ minutes for the final step) but depending on the amount of liquid in the vegetables and meat it may take longer to get the perfect spice consistency in step 5. Amount of water you need to top off the pot (step 7) varies depending on the hydration level. You never need the exact amount of water on the recipe and its better not to overdo it. I have tried this recipe multiple of times and every time I’ve tried it gets different hydration level but the end result always is amazing if you get the steps right. Perhaps this is the beauty of curry and it is the core source of wonder that excites me to consume this delicious dish.

Curry changes flavor over time once the temperature comes down and spices are well rested. So you can enjoy subtle differences in flavor. Please let me know how your turns out and share this post if you liked it! Cheers.

[2nights] Underrated backpacking destination in Stanislaus National Forest/Emigrant Wilderness

Memorial Day was upon us, and it went by so fast just like every other national holidays. We were craving for adventure that scratches the itches of being stuck at home still after one whole year of quarantine. Well, we actually did a decent number of outdoor adventures and I am just very behind on posting. Last summer Rebecca and I got engaged(!!!) by the beautiful Glacier Lakes in Tahoe National Forest (disclaimer: not the overly populated South Lake district of the forest, we went off the grid as per usual) then we also went up to Lassen Volcanic National Park for the first time since I did the weekend camping trip with dudes several years ago (you can read/see the itinerary from the previous trip here) and we also did a relatively relaxed trip to Plumas National Forest taking advantage of Summer Fridays thanks to Sony. I got photos and well kept journal entries from all of these trips we did over the cursed year of 2020. I am going to slowly attempt to translate my photo documentation into blogposts.

Unfurling view of snow covered mountains to the south of Stanislaus
Rebecca traversing through beautiful creek along Kennedy Lake trail
Gushing waterfalls along the high elevation point on Kennedy Meadows trail

This post is about our most recent backpacking trip that we took on the last weekend of May 2021: Kennedy Meadows trailhead to Relief Reservoir to Kennedy Lake back to Kennedy Meadows. Hope you enjoy!

Before proceeding – Please bear in mind the following two key rules for backcountry adventures: (1) pack in/pack out and (2) respect the rules set by the wilderness service. You are receiving permission to enter the wilderness, the wilderness did not ask you to come. First step for preparation is to acquire a proper wilderness permit from Forest Service website. If the URL is still valid and same, this is the link to Stanislaus FS website where you can submit request for wilderness permit to do any of the backpacking ideas illustrated in this post.

Remember to review the park specific rules especially for fire usage. Be sure to apply for fire permit (even for portable stove) should this be required by the Forest Service. Most, if not all parks in California are in high fire danger during the summer/fall camping seasons.

There was still snow on the higher elevation part of Kennedy Meadows trail

Entry to Stanislaus National Forest area takes about 3 1/2 hours if you are driving from Bay Area. We took the usual long relaxed drive along 120 that penetrates through many farmlands and fragrant strawberry vendors, and eventually cut through Oakdale towards 108 waving past the turn to Yosemite. We kept driving on 108 passing Strawberry town and Bumblebee town and pulled into Kennedy Meadows Trailhead parking lot.

The weather was hazy and cloud was dim under the influence of high pressure that can turn into much needed rainfall at any moment. We reorganized our packs in the back of Tiguan and adjusted the hiking poles to make a perfect 90 degrees angles with our elbows. This was my first trip with my new pack that Rebecca gifted me on Christmas. It surprised to think it took half a year to finally put this pack in use. We locked the Tiguan, double checked to make sure all trashes and any sign of food was taken out from the vehicle to not to alert bears (California backpacking rule 101), opened the car again, then locked it again, and finally started on our hike! A little past 4pm on the summer time–we are still good for another 3 hours of daylight.

Creek that flows through Emigrant Wilderness

One thing that quarantine has changed in me was the concept of time. Before COVID I was always nervous to start the hike in the late afternoon. I was so worried that we cannot find the good campground before the sun goes down. In reality, Rebecca and I had done many backpacking trips and we are very much aware of our strength and the speed of travel: unless there is extreme elevation gain that prolong for miles, we can comfortably burn 2mi/hour on the flat trail and give it or take additional 1 hour for sharp elevation gain. We are essentially racing with our stamina instead of the long summer daylight. I was not nervous about the late start of our trip since we are not “rushing” anymore.

From the parking lot to Kennedy Meadow trailhead, we had to walk through a paved road that connects Deadman’s Campground and Kennedy Meadow Resorts. All in all, it took us about good half an hour to reach the trailhead. I must confess, this was the hardest part of this trip. You won’t believe how difficult treading along the concrete road when it is compared to 1,000 ft incline on the rocky dirt trail. On the dirt you can stab the hiking poles pretty much anywhere to find your balance, but the paved road does not give you anything friendly like that.

Our destination for the first day was Relief Reservoir that sits in the basin of Emigrant Wilderness beyond mountains. Kennedy Meadow trail that leads to the reservoir was well marked and it was quite scenic from the beginning. The view opened up nicely when we hiked past forests and creeks and started to ascend on the exposed hill. After crossing one bridge after another we were already gaining descent elevation (~600ft) to the highest peak of the trail. The view behind us was highlighted in amber from the setting sun. Another benefit of late start.

After passing the junction that split off to Kennedy Lake trail, we hiked for another mile to get to the vantage point that revealed the first sight of Relief Reservoir. We gained approximately 1,000ft at that point and my watch was ticking past 6pm. We were the late afternoon warriors with packs still on our shoulders to find home for the night.

We’ve passed several pitched tents and saw a small gathering of campers seating and enjoying the dinner by the cliff. It would have been an easy decision to find A-OK ground to setup the camp nearby, but we kept going instead. Another lesson from my experience: If you feel the urge to situate at any reasonable flat ground ASAP because you are exhausted, always push for just another 1 mile. Trust me, you will find something better and be happier. This was exactly what we did and after scrambling through a non-existent trail and making Rebecca unhappy for a split second, voilà! We did it! We found the perfect home that provides shelter and solitude from the other campers.

Ground was not perfectly flat but it was workable enough to rake the dirt and pitch the tent to call it our home for the night. I really loved the view of Relief Reservoir and how the sky glimmered in violet and pink twilight. It was a gorgeous evening and reminded me how the day’s end looks like. Dinner for the evening was a rehydrated bibimbap packet from Good To-Go followed by hot oshiruko (sweet red bean soup with mochi). Mmmm…happy camper life.

Campfires in the distance
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Stars were out early because there was no moon to hide them. I set up my tripod and started my ritual night sky photos with slow shutter setting and self-timer. If you look at these photos closely, you can see some campfires and headlamps in the distance. They added some interesting mood to this quiet little sanctuary of a place.

Unfortunately, my sleeping pad had a hole and it was flat as tortilla when I finished the night photography and snuck inside the sleeping bag. I’ve tried inflating the pad every few hours but it reduced to a thin sheet of cold useless fabric before sleep catches up with my tired body. I was lying awake for majority of that night because of cold ground. I’ve noticed the bright glow of moon was highlighting the edges of tent at some point in the night like a big spotlight shining towards the tent. Perfect. Now I will definitely not going to get any sleep.

However, I did eventually caught a few hours of sleep before crawling out of tent to face the warm sunshine. The weather forecast that I’ve read on the way to the park suggested high 80 to 90F and the day was already on its way to a hot summer weather. Morning coffee and overnight oats that we prepared inside the bear canister the night before was a perfect starter to wire my sleep deprived brain. Day 2 has begun. Today we will make our ways to Kennedy Lake!

There are many horseback riders traveling from Kennedy Meadow Resorts
Manzanita flowers blooming along the creek on Kennedy Meadow trail
There are several parts on Kennedy Lake trail where cold creek crosses path with the trail. Icy cold water from these creeks provides a perfect opportunity to filtrate and replenish your water supply.

Backtracking Kennedy Meadow trail for about two miles, we turned on Kennedy Lake trail and continued up the switchbacks to reach the first sign of fresh water that flows and crosses over the trail. It was a hidden oasis perfect to drop our packs to refill water reservoirs and eat snacks and generally enjoy the moment.

Kennedy Lake trail is approximately 5 miles trail that follows gushing stream along the horse trail. The first part of this trail is mostly exposed and arid. You will tread on the rocky steps and wave pass the river, but as soon as the trail enters the forest the scenery switches to lush green meadows. The dramatic contrast of dusty horse trail and a beautiful green meadow makes the journey split to two very distinctive experiences.

The further you go on Kennedy Lake trail you will get the sense of entering the home of Leprechaun or unicorn or other mythical creatures. Once you enter the meadow zone you will suddenly start to feel cozy and wants to stay there for a while.

Once we entered the depth of meadow zone we bushwhacked our ways off the trail to find a peaceful green patch along the creek. We decided to pitch the tent and unload our gears and have a lunch break.

Tickling sounds of creek was very soothing and it was reinvigorating to wash our faces with icy cold snow water. It was a quiet little shelter untouched by human that we have been yearning for. Perching on a fallen log we had Tuna packet and spinach tortilla our favorite backpacking meal for lunch. It’s basically a tuna slammed into tortilla. A very easy to make and filling on-the-go meal.

After lunch we organized a daypack with snacks and water, and went back on the main trail. Marking the trail with acorns and “branch art” so we can find the way back to the campsite. The sun was still high above our heads. We continued our ways on the main trail to Kennedy Lake that supposedly awaits us at the end of the remaining 3 miles.

The final few miles on Kennedy Lake trail was something to be described as heavenly, breathtaking, and dreamlike. Suddenly, forests opened up and we were standing in the middle of lush green fields surrounded by the arms of snow peaked mountains. It was like we passed through the tunnel of reality and came out on the other side of dream. There was few other hikers enjoying fishing in the creek and taking in the scenery of this best kept secret of a place.

We continued on the trail, which at that point was a barely visible path for a mankind, and dodged many puddles to reach the point where trail completely dissolved into the bog. Kennedy Lake was still a couple hundreds of feet away but we were satisfied to see the amazing beauty of this quiet little heaven. We spent some time to enjoy the moment before heading back to the campsite.

Kennedy Lake trail and Kennedy Meadow trail were both perfect backpacking trails for moderate to experienced hikers. Kennedy Meadow to Relief Reservoir journey was slightly less exciting towards the end when compared to the dramatic shift of environment that you can experience on Kennedy Lake trail, but the scenic camping spots overlooking the reservoir was quite impressive and it was well worth the effort. I’d love to go back to Kennedy Lake and camp at the heavenly meadows to do night sky photography there.

Stanislaus National Forest/Emigrant Wilderness are a certain gift of nature that you just have to hike in to immerse yourself to appreciate. It may not be as grandiose as neighboring Yosemite National Park but it provides definite sense of solitude and peace that you cannot experience from the popular parks. This was the trail I will not be tired of trying again and again in the future.

Snaps of Singapore and Malaysia: Chapter 10

It was two days before New Year’s Eve. Recounting the past ten days spent in the island nations of Singapore and Malaysia, it had been the perfect conclusion to the year. 2019 was a year filled with many travels, meetings of friends and family, and shared celebration of all of the good fortune that surrounded us. As I started to organize my luggage in preparation for our flight back to the states, I decided to do something that I always do on the final day of travel. Rereading my journals and visiting the last remaining points of interest that had been reserved for the tail-end of our journey. 

The Jewel

Just like a pearly necklace sparkling with a blinding shimmering light, the Jewel of Changi Airport surprised us with its grandiose scale. Jewel is a shopping center built inside the airport that houses a rainforest and impressive waterfall vortex simulating an oasis in the depth of a forbidden island. Jewel was quintessentially Singaporean with its impeccable presentation of reputable shops and eye-catching attractions. When Becca and I visited the skywalk bridge, we had no questions about why it had become a quintessential part of the Singaporean experience.

We saved Jewel for our last destination because we lodged at a hotel nearby for the last day in Singapore and it was relatively easy to squeeze into the action-packed schedule on our way back from Penang. After exploring and having lunch at Jewel, we took a taxi to check in to the hotel. Becca and I then ventured out to Chinatown for our last souvenir shopping.

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It was Sunday afternoon but we must have missed the rush hour of visitors as Chinatown was calm in its temperament. Strolling around the vibrant neighborhood felt relaxing under the somber grey sky. Markets and vendors all seemed to enjoy the slower pace of a sleepy weekend before a rainstorm that will inevitably tuck them under their canopies. Becca and I were on the search for sambal (Indonesian chili paste) and kaya (coconut jelly) to take back home. On our walk we drifted along the mood of the weekend’s end that had perfectly synchronized with the sentiment of the ending trip.

Watching the rain clouds from Five Oars Coffee Roasters on Tanjong Pagar Road

After bidding farewell to Chinatown, we stopped at Five Oars Coffee Roasters on Tanjong Pagar Road for a cup of coffee before heading back to Changi. We sipped on a coffee and nibbled on a chocolate treat as we reminisced about all of the places we had visited. Our trip to Singapore and Malaysia was something like a fresh stroke of a brush on an empty canvas, and we did not expect it to be such an amazing experience at the end. From the night stroll around Chinatown to the mystical rainforests gallery in Penang, we made some of the most unforgettable memories in great company. If my tired legs had been the result of the many miles of earth we had walked across in this previously unknown part of the world, each ache was not only worth it but well-deserved.

Thank you Singapore and Malaysia for treating us well. And… thanks to you, the readers, for sticking around with us on this special journey. Hope you stay well and that we see each other again very soon!

Written by: Kosuke Haga
Edited by: Rebecca Hoover

content creator | entrepreneur camping expert | father

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