Classic North Indian chicken curry

Name: Classic North Indian chicken curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Yield: 3-4
Ingredients: 4 tbsp oil; 2 cloves; 1 sticks cinnamon; 2 green cardamom pods; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 small-medium onion, chopped; 1½ tbsp chopped ginger; 6 cloves garlic, chopped; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tbsp ground coriander; ½ tsp chilli powder; 2 tomatoes, puréed; 450g small chicken, or poussin, bone-in, skinned and jointed; ½ tsp garam masala; 1 handful coriander leaves; To serve; Rice or parathas (Indian flatbreads); Cucumber raita or any vegetable dish

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 55 mins

4 tbsp oil

2 cloves

1 sticks cinnamon

2 green cardamom pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 small-medium onion, chopped

1½ tbsp chopped ginger

6 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground coriander

½ tsp chilli powder

2 tomatoes, puréed

450g small chicken, or poussin, bone-in, skinned and jointed

½ tsp garam masala

1 handful coriander leaves

To serve

Rice or parathas (Indian flatbreads)

Cucumber raita or any vegetable dish

Pour the oil into a large non-stick pan and set over high heat. Throw in the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Fry for about 20seconds.

Mix in the onions. Fry until they get a nice golden-brown colour, while stirring frequently. This should take about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir non-stop for 40 seconds then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and the ground spices. Stir for another 15 seconds. Add the tomatoes then lower the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes until the water from the tomatoes evaporates and the oil separates from the masala.

Add the chicken and fry for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat, until brown. Cover with about 350ml of water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. This should take from 15 minutes to 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken.

Mix in the garam masala and the coriander leaves. Serve along with rice, cucumber raita and parathas or any vegetable dish you like.

Serves
3-4

Preparation Time
25 minutes

Cooking Time
55 minutes

Main ingredients
Chicken, Rice

Recipe Type
Dinner, Easy Recipes, Family Dinners, One Pot, Curry

Cuisine
Indian

Special Info
Gluten free, Egg free, Pregnant Mums

Level of Difficulty
Easy

You can easily freeze this curry: instead of adding the garam masala and coriander leaves, allow to cool down when the chicken is ready. Then, divide the curry into zipper storage bags and put them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use it, leave the curry in the refrigerator overnight to defrost then reheat over low heat in a covered pan along with several tablespoons of water. Add the garam masala and coriander leaves and serve.