Punjabi Tariwala Murgh

A simple chicken curry served with rice that is hearty, delicious and just what I call comfort food. It ticks all the boxes with warming spices, ginger and a rich gravy that coats the chicken pieces. There are so many memories of eating this on a Sunday afternoon at my home when I lived in India. A plateful of chicken curry and plain rice has always been a family favourite so I am sharing a recipe that has been cooked for years in our home.

It is a fairly easy recipe and with ingredients that are readily available. I prefer using ghee for the flavour it lends the curry although vegetable oil work well too. And as always I prefer chicken on the bone. If you are opting for boneless chicken try and use chicken thighs and also adjust the cooking time.

Method

Coarsely grind the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar and set aside. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom large sauce pan over a medium flame. Add ½ tsp of the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and green cardamom pods
As they begin to sizzle in the pan add the onions and cook for 15-16 minutes. Stir well making sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan
Add the garlic and ginger frying for a minute. Now add the turmeric and chilli powder. Stir and add the blended tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 5-7 minutes
At this stage add the chicken pieces and fry for 10 minutes. Stir well making sure the masala coats the pieces and they seal evenly
Add the stock, season to taste and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes with the lid on. Stir half way through
Turn the heat off and add the remaining cumin seeds, garam masala and fresh coriander. Serve with roti or rice.