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1
Combine the yoghurt, ground cumin, ground coriander, pounded garlic, and pounded ginger in a large bowl, then add the chicken pieces and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight — a minimum of 8 hours — so the marinade has time to work all the way to the bone, not merely season the surface. Anything less produces a bird that tastes spiced on the outside and plain within.
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2
Melt the ghee in a heavy-based pot over medium heat and add the whole cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. Fry until the seeds begin to pop and a toasted, warm spice fragrance rises clearly from the pot — approximately 2 minutes — because whole spices release their volatile oils into the ghee far more completely than they ever will into water or stock, building the aromatic base that will perfume every grain of rice.
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3
Add the rinsed rice to the pot, stir to coat every grain in the spiced ghee, then add the turmeric and stir until the rice is uniformly coloured. Continue frying for 2–3 minutes, until the grains turn slightly translucent at the edges and smell nutty, so each grain is already carrying flavour and ghee before any liquid touches it — under-fried rice yields a plain, starchy result; properly fried rice yields the fragrant, separate biryani the dish demands. This is where the dish lives or dies.
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4
Remove the par-fried rice from the pot and set aside. Arrange the marinated chicken pieces in an even layer across the base of the same pot, then spoon the spiced rice over the chicken in an even layer, covering it completely — mok, to hide — so the chicken steams entirely beneath the rice and its juices rise through every grain as it cooks. Add just enough water or stock to reach the level of the rice surface, then seal the pot tightly with a lid; if the lid is not tight, press a sheet of foil beneath it to prevent steam loss.
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5
Cook over medium heat until steam is audible escaping at the rim, then reduce to the lowest possible heat and cook for a further 20–25 minutes. Do not lift the lid at any point during this phase, because each time the lid is raised the trapped steam that is cooking the upper layers of rice escapes, leaving those grains raw and uneven while the lower layers overcook.
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6
Remove the pot from the heat and leave the lid firmly in place for 10 minutes undisturbed, so the residual steam continues cooking the uppermost rice off the direct heat and the grains settle into a dry, separate texture rather than clumping. After 10 minutes, lift the lid: the rice should be dry, separate, and deeply golden; the chicken below should be tender and pulling slightly from the bone.
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7
While the rice rests, warm the coconut milk gently in a small pan, stir in the mild curry powder, and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and is smooth, pale yellow, and faintly sweet on the palate. Keep the heat gentle so the coconut milk does not split and lose the silky body that makes this sauce — specific to khao mok — the sweet, mild counterpoint to the deeply spiced rice.
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8
Serve the rice and chicken from the pot directly, with the sliced cucumber, fresh tomato, and prik dong arranged alongside. Pour the yellow dipping sauce into a small bowl at the table.