Spicy Chicken Masala Curry

By Thom7747

This recipe is from Sailu's Kitchen. There are certain recipes which always remain our favorites and we can never be tired of cooking them over and over again. One such favorite recipe that I cook often and is enjoyed by my family and friends is the Spicy Chicken Masala Curry. This chicken curry recipe is not a fancy one, very simple, straightforward and quick to make. I don’t remember the recipe source, its been there in my recipe files since ages, thought I’d share it.

Ingredients

• Marinate:
• 1 lb. chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to suit your spice level)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• Make a paste:
• 6-7 cashew nuts
• 4-5 tbs. milk
• Dry roast and make a fine powder:
• 1” cinnamon
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 3 cloves
• Rest of the ingredients:
• 3-4 tbs. oil
• 2 big onions finely chopped
• 1 large tomato finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 3/4 tsp black pepper powder (adjust to suit your spice level)
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• coriander leaves for garnish

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from thomcooks.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Marinate chicken pieces in chili powder, turmeric powder, yogurt and salt for 20 minutes.
2. While the chicken pieces are marinating, make a paste of cashew nuts and milk. Keep aside.
3. Dry roast cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves for 1 mt and make a powder of them. Keep aside.
4. Heat 1 1/2 tbs. of oil in a cooking vessel. Add the onions and saute till pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute further for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
5. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper powder and combine well and fry for another minute.
6. Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine well and cook till oil separates.Turn off heat. Cool and grind the cooked masala. Keep aside this masala paste.
7. Heat 1 1/2 tbs. oil in a cooking vessel and add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes, reduce heat and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes.
8. Add the ground masala paste, cashew nut paste and ground powder of cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves and combine well. (Add a cup of water for more gravy consistency). Cook till chicken pieces are soft and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.

9. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Note:

Adjust the spices according to your choice. Don't over fry the masala too much or burn it as its the masala paste which gives the chicken its flavor. If you don't have curry leaves on hand, don’t worry. Do add more water for a gravy consistency. One variation is add a tbsp of coconut paste and juice of half a lemon to the above curry for added flavor.