Ingredients

The following ingredients have 5 Servings
  • 1 chicken (about 1.25 kg) (cleaned and cut into medium pieces)
  • 3 tbsp cashews
  • 1/2 cup hot water for soaking the cashews or about 125 ml hot water
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tomato (finely chopped)
  • 3 to 4 medium garlic + 1/2 inch ginger (crushed to a paste or 2 tsp ginger garlic paste)
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves/cilantro/hara dhaniya
  • 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves/pudina
  • 1 cup water (250 ml)
  • 3 tbsp curd/yogurt
  • 1 tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
  • 3 tbsp butter/oil
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 2 cloves/lavang
  • 1/2 inch cinnamon/dal chini
  • 2 green cardamoms /hari elaichi/choti elaichi

Instruction

  • Soak cashews in half a cup of hot water for 30 minutes and grind them to a fine paste. Mix yogurt and set this paste aside.
  • Heat butter/oil in a handi or a pan. Add the whole spices - cinnamon, green cardamom, and cloves. Lightly fry the spices till it emanates a good aroma.
  • Add finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown in color.
  • Now add the ginger-garlic paste, cook till raw smell vanishes from it. Then add in the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Stir and saute for a minute.
  • Next, add the chicken and saute the chicken till it is lightly brown in color.
  • Now add in turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, and coriander powder. Give it a stir.
  • Mix in the finely chopped tomatoes. and cook till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.
  • Next, add the ground cashew paste and yogurt. You can totally skip adding the yogurt, if you do not prefer it.
  • Keep stirring till oil/butter starts leaving the sides of the masala.
  • Now add the slit green chilies and garam masala powder, stir again and let the gravy begin to simmer and oil starts floating on top. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame. 
  • Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve chicken handi with tandoori rotis, naan, parathas or chapatis.