Dhaba Chicken Curry

By LaLaCooks

"You will find this curry at practically all of the dhabas [roadside restaurants] that line the highways in northern India," says Sanjeev Kapoor. "Economical and tasty, it gives you a taste of simple Punjabi cooking."

Video: Sanjeev Kapoor demonstrates how to toast spices

Ingredients

• 3 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• Pinch of ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• Four 6-ounce chicken breast halves on the bone, skinned
• Salt
• 1 cup water
• Garam masala, for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Details

Servings 4
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a food processor, chop the onions. Add the garlic and ginger and process until they are finely chopped.

In a medium, enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the vegetable oil. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and cook over low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion mixture and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the turmeric and tomato sauce and simmer over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and add them to the casserole. Coat the chicken with the sauce. Add the water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, turning a few times, until the chicken is white throughout, about 10 minutes. Season the chicken curry with salt.

Transfer the chicken and sauce to a serving bowl. Sprinkle garam masala on top, garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Serve With
Basmati rice or naan.