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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Add the stock, season to taste and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes with the lid on. Stir half way through
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Turn the heat off and add the remaining cumin seeds, garam masala and fresh coriander. Serve with roti or rice.