Punjabi Chicken Curry

A few my lovely non-Indian girlfriends asked me to teach them how to make a few Indian dishes. So, we got a date in the calendar, a beautiful kitchen (thanks Vic), lots of wine and a few willing husbands.

The menu for the evening was Chicken Curry, matar paneer (peas and paneer), spicy dry aloo (Spicy potatoes), raita (yogurt with added extras), peas pulao (Pea rice) and ofcourse the ever faithful mango lassi. This is the first recipe in the series.....watch this space for more.

Ingredients:
Chicken 1 pack of boneless thighs
Onion, 1 large, chopped
Plum Tomatoes, 3 medium, chopped
Yogurt ¼ cup
Ginger, 1 tsp grated or finely chopped
Garlic 1 to 2 tsp, grated or finely chopped
Dry ground spices:
Paprika powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil 1 - 2 tbsp
Fresh coriander, chopped 4-5 sprigs
Whole masala (spices):
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Bay leaves 2
Black Cardamoms 2
Cinnamon 1 inch
Cloves 3

Use a deep wok or a deep pot with lid to make the curry.

Method:

Clean and wash chicken. Heat the oil in the pot, and add the whole spices. Once these start to crackle, add the chopped onion along with ginger garlic. Reduce the flame to medium, so that the onions do not burn. Fry this mixture till its golden brown. Add the chicken pieces and mix it well with the now golden brown onion mix. Add turmeric powder, paprika powder, coriander powder, cumin power and salt to taste. Again, mix it well, cover and let the chicken cook for about 3-5 minutes on low heat.
You will notice the formation of a gravy or curry; this is a good sign, as the chicken is now leaving water. Don’t worry if it doesn’t happen, it will happen soon.
Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well with the half cooked chicken. Again, cover and let it cook on a low flame for 5 minutes. Do keep checking and mixing the chicken and tomatoes together.
Cook for a further 10 minutes, and you will notice the formation of a layer of oil on the top of the curry. This is a sign that it’s almost done. You will by now have a thick curry in the pot.
Add the yogurt 1 tbsp at a time and mix it well. Don’t add all together, as it could curdle. When the entire yogurt has been added, check if you are happy with the gravy consistency. If you would like it thinner, add a bit of water. Cover and cook for one final time, till the chicken is tender.
Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve with warm naan bread or pulao rice.

Tips:
Chicken – we used boneless thighs, you can use any type of cut chicken. Legs, thighs both work well. I tend not to use chicken breast, as it toughens a bit whilst cooking. Remember chicken cooks very quickly, so reduce the cooking time if you are using boneless pieces cut too small.
Tomatoes – we used plum tomatoes, because I think they taste nice. You could use any kind of fresh tomatoes, although canned tomatoes are alright too.
Ginger and Garlic – we chopped these, but for ease you could use ginger/garlic paste out of a bottle/tube.
Chillies – yes, we didn’t use any chillies. If you do like to, add half a tsp of red chillies whilst adding the ground spices, or 1 green chilli.
The wok or pot – use one with a lid, as you do need to cover and leave the chicken to cook. A deep pot works as well as an Indian wok.