This is what I did, experimenting with spices I had, there’s no exact science to it, you can adapt/choose to leave out, or add as you see fit, for your taste.
Recipe
Add enough oil to cover the base of your cooking vessel, heat and season it with the following wholes spices:
3 tej patta
cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom
3 green cardamom
4 cloves
1 full tsp panch poran
Fry gently until aromatic.
Now add:
1 small red onion, finely sliced
and 1 bag of baby shallots, (if you don’t have any I would just use 3-4 medium onions in total) finely sliced, fry until they’ve cooked down to the point of a very soft and mushy. Add some salt to help draw out the moisture in them
Now add:
1 bulb of garlic, and an equal piece of fresh ginger, (so it’s a 50/50 ratio), bashed to a paste, I added 8 fresh green chillies, fine diced, (however add or reduce the quantity to suit you) and cook the rawness of the garlic/ginger out. Add a little boiling water when necessary, to avoid catching the bottom of the cooking vessel.
Now add:
3 medium vine tomatoes, finely diced, cook them right down until it’s all formed the same in texture, this is now forming your masala
Add dry spices now:
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 good tbsps of basaar
Stir well, allow a tbsp or two of boiling water if you think it’s too dry, you don’t want to burn the spices.
Cook the spices out and allow the oil to split.
Add 1 kg chicken thighs, with bone, skin removed, and scored, to assist the penetration of the masala into the meat.
Stir in well, make sure the meat is completely coated, add some boiling water as needed to just about cover your meat. Keep checking, and stirring throughout the process of cooking, with the lid on. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, adding some more boiling water if preferred for your final consistency, or cook until reduced, either way!
Finish by adding a handful of fresh, chopped coriander