Ingredients
Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
Cloves – 4 nos
Green cardamom – 2 nos
Cinnamon 1-inch stick
Peppercorns – 10 nos
Chicken breasts, 4 cut into 3 pieces each (I use chicken without skin but with bones)
Onions, grated, 2 large
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Red chilli powder – 1-2 tsp
Yoghurt, beaten – 1/2 cup
Preparation
1.Wash and wipe dry the chicken. Pierce it all over with the tip of a knife, to facilitate flavours permeating it. (If you have an hour, marinate the chicken in a spoonful of oil, the onion, garlic and ginger paste. When ready to cook, add the marinated chicken to the remaining oil after it has been heated and the whole spices (cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and peppercorns) sautéed until fragrant.)
2.If you’re in a hurry, heat the oil and sauté the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and peppercorns, until you can smell their aroma. Then add the chicken, onion, garlic and ginger pastes, all together.
3.Cook on high heat, uncovered, stirring frequently to coat all the chicken with the masala paste. Add salt and chilli powder while the chicken is cooking.
4.When the moisture has been evaporated, lower the heat and poke the largest piece of chicken to see if it is cooked. If not, keep simmering until it is no longer red.
5.Add beaten yoghurt and cook till heated through. If you want the dish to be dry, with just masala paste sticking to the chicken, you can stop now.
6.If you want a gravy, possibly to be eaten with rice, then boil a cup of water and add it to the chicken. Stir to mix well and serve.
6.Recipe by Vasundhara Chauhan
