Indian Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram bone-in chicken pieces

Ingredients For Tomato Paste:

• 1 Cup chopped tomato
• 2 dry red chili
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 inch piece of ginger

Ingredients For Onion Paste:

• 2 Cup sliced onion
• 1 Cup mustard oil

Other Ingredients For Curry:

• 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• 1 cinnamon stick (dal chini)
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala ( see recipe )
• Salt to taste
• 1 Cup water
• 2 tablespoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 1 – 2 sliced green chilli
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Instructions

• Wash and clean the chicken pieces. Pat them dry and set aside.
• Make tomato paste of chopped tomato, red chilli, garlic, and ginger using 1 – 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside
• Heat mustard oil in the Kadhai. Once it’s smoking hot, add sliced onion and fry till they are golden brown in color. Transfer the fried onion to a plate. Allow becoming lukewarm. Grind them to a smooth paste without using water. Keep them aside.Pin
• In the same kadhai, add the bay leaf and cinnamon in the leftover oil. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release their aroma.
• Add the tomato paste, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and fry over low-medium heat till oil starts separating from the masala.
• Add the chicken pieces, season with salt, and fry till they become pale white. This usually takes 8 – 10 minutes. Do not rush this process.
• Next, add the onion paste. Mix nicely. Cover and cook the chicken till its juices are released. Keep the flame at the lowest setting. Do not add any water. A good quality tender chicken does not take more than 10 minutes to get cooked. Open the lid, check the chicken for doneness.
• If cooked, add 1 Cup of water to make gravy (add coconut milk if you prefer) along with garam masala, dry fenugreek leaves, fresh coriander, and sliced green chili (optional).
• Simmer the curry for 5 – 10 minutes for the gravy to thicken a bit. Taste the curry and add more seasoning if required.
• Serve Indian chicken curry with rice or chapati.