This weekend I had been a bit lazy since I wasn't so well, but the love for cooking keeps you on your toes doesn't it? IT DOES - for me at least. So this time in the kitchen it had to be something comforting and something that could be prepared in less time. So first thoughts, it had to be CHICKEN and second thought, it had to be curry/gravy/saalan/shorba
So what can be better than Chicken Curry - easy, comforting and you can enjoy it with chapati or rice. This recipe of Chicken Curry is by my Ammi (Mom), Thank you Lord for giving us mommies they are such a blessing in our lives and what ever they cook its always delicious!
The highlights of this Chicken Curry recipe are its Pakistani spices and flavors, the cooking technique and of course the tantalizing curry made from onions and tomatoes.
Tantalizing Pakistani Style Chicken Curry with exotic spices and tomato-onion sauce, absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
1 Whole Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 Onions medium, finely chopped
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Salt or to taste
1 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 tsp turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 Cups water
Coriander leaves for garnish
1/2 Cup Ghee or Oil
Instructions
Put a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and melt Ghee (if using oil heat it for about 2 minutes)
Meanwhile, using a blender or a chopper, blend onions into paste like consistency
Add these onions to the pan and saute until it starts to turn golden. The onions will start getting darker in color, cook until dark brown. This will give the curry that red coloring - don't over cook or burn the onion as it will spoil the taste if too dark or burned
Now add the ginger and garlic paste into it and continue to saute' until brown and fragrant
Now add chicken to the pan, you can add 1/4 cup of water to avoid burning of masala. Fry the chicken until golden and partially cooked
Now add the spices, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, mix and continue to fry on medium-high heat - (this procedure is called bhuna)
Now add the chopped tomatoes in the pan and cover with the lid. Lower the heat to medium and let the tomatoes cook. Add a little bit of water so that tomatoes soften
When tomatoes are soft, continue to fry (bhuno) the chicken until you see the oil separating from the sauce
Now add the remaining water in the pan and lower the heat. Cover with the lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. You'll see oil floating on the top indicating the curry is cooked
Garnish with fresh chopped corriander and serve with Naan, Chappati, Basmati Rice and Kachumbar Salad
Note: If you do not wish to use tomatoes, you can substitute them with 1 Cup of Yogurt. Skip step 7 and instead add yogurt at this stage and continue with the rest of the procedure
