Old monk chicken curry, flamed with rum

Peel and chop the ginger into small chunks and peel the garlic.

Blend the ginger and garlic in a mini food processor with a little salt and a tablespoon of oil until a paste forms, adding a splash of water if it is thick.

Marinate the chopped chicken thighs with about two tablespoons of the ginger garlic paste, the garam masala, black pepper, turmeric, coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder and the dark rum, and rest in the fridge.

Chop one medium red onion.

Heat half a cup of vegetable or mustard oil and saute the bay leaves with a teaspoon of cumin seeds on low to medium heat to bloom the flavour, about one minute.

Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, not browned.

Slit eight green chilies down the middle and add them for another minute, until fragrant.

Stir fry two tablespoons of ginger garlic paste at this stage.

Add a quarter cup of tomato paste and stir until fragrant, then the five dry spices, two and a half teaspoons each.

Add the marinated chicken, then 200 ml of water to loosen it into a sauce base.

Braise on low heat about 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.

Add another quarter cup of chili powder.

Plate a heaping of basmati rice and ladle the curry over about 75% of the plate.

Warm about half a cup of rum in a pan, light it with a lighter rather than off the burner, and sprinkle the flaming alcohol over the plate of curry.

Once the fire has died down the plate is drenched in rum; he says not to pour an entire cup of hard liquor over curry you intend to eat.