Chicken Curry – Amritsar Style

This is an amazingly simple recipe that I have adapted from an original mutton recipe. It is easy to make and is truly delicious. It tickles the palate and gets the digestive system really stimulated (in a good way!)

Ingredients

1 kg Chicken
12-15 Green Cardamoms (Elaichi)
2 Bay Leaves
5 Medium Onions, chopped
5 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
3 Large Tomatoes, chopped
300 gms Yoghurt (Dahi), beaten
1.5 tsp Coriander Powder (Dhania Powder)
1.5 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1 tsp Dried Mango Powder (Amchoor)
1.5 tsp Garam Masala Powder
Bunch of fresh coriander (Hara Dhania)
4 tbsp Oil
Salt, to taste

Procedure

1. Boil the chicken in approximately 1 litre of water with the cardamom and bay leaves.
2. After 20 minutes reserve the stock, discard the cardamom and bay leaves. Keep the chicken pieces aside.
3. Heat oil and add onions to this. Saute until golden brown.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and bhunao for 2 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and bhunao for 7 minutes.
6. Add coriander and red chilly powders. Bhunao for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add yoghurt and bhunao for 7 minutes.
8. Add dry mango powder (amchoor), garam masala powder, chicken pieces and reserved stock. Bring to a boil.
9. Cover and simmer until gravy is fairly thick (approx 20-30 minutes).
10. Sprinkle fresh coriander. Cover and let the curry rest for 10 minutes.
11. Serve with jeera rice, plain steamed rice or hot parathas.

A word about ‘Bhunao’ : This method implies continuous stir frying of masalas on high heat, stirring briskly and without diverting your attention to other insignificant worldly matters! It is a vital part of most Indian recipes – a method that gives the spices a slight ‘toasted’ flavor. It is also very simple, needs only your undivided attention and a strong hand!

Given the price of onions I feel a sense of guilt suggesting this but fresh chunks of onion, whole green chillies sprinkled with generous amounts of chaat masala, kashmiri chilly powder, chopped mint and lemon juice are a brilliant side to this dish.

I would love to have this with a glass of good chardonnay. But the doctor has asked me to stay off wine for a while as he suspects a wine allergy. So it’s just buttermilk for now!

Author: Hansal Mehta

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