Put the onion, garlic, ginger and the 3 tablespoons of water into a blender and blend until you have a paste.
Heat the oil in a 20–23cm/8–9 inch wide pot over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. Stir for 3–4 seconds. Now put in the paste from the blender. Stir and fry for 5 minutes or until the paste turns a light brown