Indian Chicken Curry

Recipe No.: W-34

InternationalIndian60 minServes 4

"Curry" is not the name of one Indian dish: it goes back to the Tamil word "kari", meaning a spiced sauce or gravy, which the Portuguese and then the British applied to many different Indian dishes. In North Indian homes, chicken is typically cooked in a sauce of browned onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and ground spices, and served with basmati rice or bread.

Origin of the dish: India — The word "curry" was used by the British for many different Indian dishes

Ingredients for Indian Chicken Curry

• 1 kgbone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), skinned
• 3 tbspvegetable oil or ghee
• 4green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 4whole cloves
• 1cinnamon stick (about 5 cm)
• 2bay leaves
• 2large onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbspfreshly grated ginger
• 5 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2large tomatoes, pureed (or 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1½ tspground cumin
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1 to 1½ tspKashmiri chili powder (or paprika with a pinch of cayenne)
• 1½ tspsalt, or to taste
• 1 cuphot water (240 ml)
• 1 tspgaram masala
• ¼ cupchopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• To serve
• steamed basmati rice or naan

Method

1. Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant, without letting them burn.
2. Add the onions and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring, until deep golden brown. This is the base of the flavour, so do not rush it; if the onions stick, add a splash of water.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for 1 minute until the raw smell disappears. Add the pureed tomatoes and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture darkens and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
4. Sprinkle in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, Kashmiri chili and salt and stir vigorously for 1 minute so the spices bloom in the hot oil.
5. Add the chicken pieces and turn them to coat in the masala, then pour in the hot water and stir.
6. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through and the gravy has thickened.
7. Uncover, stir in the garam masala and simmer for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in most of the coriander and adjust the salt. Serve hot with basmati rice or naan.

Try the interactive Chef Meerath on the main site · هذه الوصفة بالعربية