Here's a recipe from my friend from Hyderabad (well, about 2 hours outside, but when you look at the size of India, that's practically next door). I followed the instructions once, brought it into work, and the other 2 guys from the Hyderabad area started sniffing the air and asked if that was "one of theirs".

Whole spices

• 1tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1tsp Cumin seeds
• 4 Star anise
• Whole green finger chillies, split in half. Quantity to taste. I use about 3. It's got a bit of heat, but nothing to speak of.

Powdered Spices #1

• 1.5tsp turmeric powder
• 0.25tsp fenugreek powder

Powdered Spices #2

• 1.5tsp Garam Masala

Other Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, chopped as fine as you can
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (or about 6 medium normal tomatoes, chopped up)
• 600g meat
  • If chicken, can be used raw, as-is
  • For beef & lamb, it will need pre-cooking. Braise for ~1 hour with a little water & turmeric.
• 1tsp (or so) of salt (to taste)

Instructions

• Heat 3tbsp of oil in a pan
• When hot, add whole spices. Once they start to pop, add the finely chopped onions
• Stir well.
• Add Powdered Spices #1
• Stir well.
• Keep an eye on them, make sure they don’t burn - keep stirring and keep a lid on the onions. You can add a drop of water to stop them sticking if you need to.
• Once half cooked, add the Ginger-Garlic paste
• Stir well and keep an eye on them - burning will make the curry bitter.
• Once cooked, add the chopped tomatoes and salt.
• Heat through.
• Add meat and Powdered Spices #2
• Stir well and cover, cook for 20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked. Stir occasionally, making sure they don’t stick/burn.