North Indian Style Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- Approx. 700 gr. (1lb. 8 oz.) chicken
- (4 large breasts) cubed
- 4 tbsp. oil (vegetable/olive)
- 5 cloves
- 2" piece cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 dried red chilli
- 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
- 25 gr. (1 oz.) garlic, about 10 cloves, finely
- chopped
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. chilli powder
- 2 flat tbsp. coriander powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 x 400 gr. (14 oz.) tin chopped tomatoes
- 500 ml. (17½ fl. oz.) approx. water (or
- ½ water, ½ chicken stock)
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- Handful chopped coriander leaves
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the cloves, cinammon stick and dried red chilli. Fry for a few seconds to bring out the flavours.
Add the finely chopped onions and fry for about 10 minutes until softened and browned, sitrring occasionally. Add the freshly grated ginger and garlic and stir round for about ½ a minute before adding the remaining dried spices, together with the salt. Stir for a few seconds more and pour in the chopped tomatoes. Cook over a moderate heat for 10-15 minutes until the oil leaves the side of the pan.
Turn up the heat, add the cubed chicken and cook until it loses its rawness, stirring every so often.
Add sufficient water/stock to just cover, turn down the heat and cook until the sauce reduces and the chicken is cooked. Leave as much sauce as you like, bearing in mind it thickens as it stands. If you reduce it too much, just add a little water from a recently boiled kettle.
Just before serving sprinkle in the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with Fragrant Rice, Bombay Aloo, Raita and one or two mini pitta breads
