1kilosboneless chickencut into small pieces, or small pieces of chicken on the bone
1mediumonioncut into large cubes and separated
60gramsplain yogurt¼ cup
½teaspoongaram masala
Instructions
On a low-medium flame, heat the oil in a large saucepan and add green and black cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and cumin seeds. Allow them to gently fry for around half a minute, taking care that they do not burn.
3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 whole black cardamoms, 4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Add diced onions and sauté till lightly browned.
2 medium onions
Mix in the green chilli, garlic and ginger and sauté for a further minute.
2 cloves garlic, 3 green chilli, 2 inches ginger
Then stir in chopped tomatoes and lightly fry for 2-3 minutes.
200 grams tinned tomatoes
Next, add cinnamon, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin, coriander, and 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder. Add a couple of tablespoons of water, so that the masala powders do not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Cook the masala (spice) mixture for around 5 minutes, adding slightly more water if necessary.
¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1.5 teaspoons cumin powder, 1.5 teaspoons coriander powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, water
Add the chicken and mix well to ensure it is well coated in masala sauce. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 kilos boneless chicken
Stir in the yogurt and the larger pieces of onion, then sprinkle over the remaining garam masala. Mix together well and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve with warm fluffy rice.
1 medium onion, 60 grams plain yogurt, ½ teaspoon garam masala
Notes
Smash the green and black cardamoms before using for wonderful flavour.
Lightly frying the whole spices releases their oils and flavours the oil.
Cooking the masala powders slowly on a low-medium heat helps to release the oils and the flavours begin to come together.
Make sure the spices are cooked for at least 5 minutes to add flavour to the dish.
The masala powders will burn if the pan becomes dry, so add a little water now and again. After 5 minutes of cooking, the mixture should be a loose paste.
You could either use small cuts of chicken on the bone (without skin) or chicken breast cut into small cubes.
Store leftovers in a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours or freeze for up to a month. Defrost fully and reheat through properly before serving.