Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and sauté the 4 medium onions till golden brown.
Add the fresh 2 cloves garlic and 2 inches ginger and stir, then add the 1 tin chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes till it is like a paste.
Mix in the 1 teaspoon red chilli paste, 2 inches turmeric root , 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ginger powder and 2 whole green chillies and keep stirring to avoid sticking.
Add 3 small chickens and stir till the pieces are coated in the sauce. Cover and allow to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the spices.
Grind together 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 4 pieces black cardamom, 10-20 whole black peppercorns, 2 inches cinnamon to a coarse powder. Stir into the chicken and cook covered for another 5 minutes.
Add the 2 cups warm water to the chicken, stir and simmer on low heat for a further 15-20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with ½ cup chopped fresh coriander and serve with steamed basmati rice.
Notes
Freshly grind the spices just before you use them. Do this and you will see why - the aroma is absolutely amazing and far better than packets of ready ground spice.
It is important to always cook the spices for at least 5 minutes, till they are aromatic, as raw spices will not add much flavour to the dish. Add a little water so the powders don't stick to the pan and burn.
Adjust the amount of chillies, to make it as hot or mild as you like.