Dhaba Style Chicken
Ingredients
4 boneless chicken thighs cut in half
Marinade:
2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
Other Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil
1 dry red chilli
4 bay leaves
Cinnamon stick
6 green cardomoms
2 onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
3 teaspoons garlic ginger paste
½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon basaar (or good quality curry powder)
1 – 2 green chillies chopped
2 tablespoons kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Big handful of chopped fresh coriander
Method
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl with the chicken pieces and leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes, the longer the better.
2. When ready to start cooking, heat the oil in a large pan and add the dry red chili, bayleaves, cinnamon stick, cardomoms and heat until they start to pop and splutter.
3. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute or so.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they are soft, at least 5 minutes.
6. Add the spices – Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin, coriander, basaar, and salt to taste. Cook for around 5 minutes, you may need to add a little water to loosen the mixture.
7. Add the marinated chicken with the marinade and stir well.
8. Add 1.5 tablespoons kasuri methi (reserving ½ tablespoon to finish at the end) and chopped chillies.
9. Add about 2 cups of water and simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes until chicken is cooked – don’t cover the pan. Stir a couple of times and turn chicken, and you may need to adjust amount of water depending on thick/thin you like the sauce.
10. Once cooked sprinkle the remaining kasuri methi and the chopped coriander over the curry.
11. Leave to sit with the heat off and lid on for about 10 minutes before serving.