Name: Curry Leaf Popcorn Chicken
Yield: 4–6 servings
Ingredients: Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods (about ¼ tsp. seeds); 2 tsp. coriander seeds; 2 tsp. cumin seeds; ¼ tsp. whole black peppercorns; 2 cups buttermilk; ¼ cup fresh lime juice; 2–3 serrano chiles, coarsely chopped; 6 scallions, roots removed, coarsely chopped; 1 1" piece fresh ginger, peeled, chopped; 4 garlic cloves; 25 curry leaves, preferably fresh, divided; 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1½ tsp. cayenne pepper, divided; 2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, patted dry, cut into 1" pieces; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. baking soda; Neutral oil (for frying; about 4–6 cups); 4 green Thai chiles, seeded if desired; A spice mill or mortar and pestle

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Photo by Chelsie Craig

This recipe is one of our favorites from Nik Sharma's Season, our October 2018 Cookbook Club pick. Sharma says: "Whenever I make popcorn chicken or fry larger serving pieces, I flavor the dish in stages. The whole spices are toasted to activate their oils. These are then blended into buttermilk to create a savory marinade. More seasoning is then added to the flour in the dredging mixture, and finally, the hot little nuggets of chicken are topped with fried chiles."

Season by Nik Sharma with permission by Chronicle Books, 2018.

Recipe notes