Chicken Masala

This dish will take very little of your time. You can cook it in stages. Just the same, the chicken masala still tastes delicious.

Serves: 6 Persons

Prep. Time: 20 Mins. + 2 hrs. to overnight (marination)

Cooking Time: 5 Mins. (active) + 40 Mins (passive)

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 900 gms.
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 2 tsp.
• Limes – 2
• Ginger-Garlic Paste – 2 tsp.
• Curds – ½ cup
• Bayleaf – 2
• Oil – 3 tbsp.
• Salt – 1 ½ tsp. or to taste

For the Masala Paste:

• Coconut (grated) – 4 tbsp.
• Onion (chopped) – 2 medium
• Tomato (chopped) – 1 big
• Green Corriander – ¼ cup
• Ginger – ½ inch
• Garlic – 6 cloves
• Green Chillies – 2
• Corriander Seeds – 1 ½ tbsp.
• Cloves – 2
• Green Cardamom – 2
• Pepper Powder – ½ tsp.
• Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp.

Step 1:     Marinate the chicken with salt, juice of 1 lime, ginger-garlic paste, bay leaf, curds and chilly powder for 15 minutes. Also add the bay leaves.

Step 2:     Grind the ingredients for the masala paste to a fine paste using a little water.

Step 3:     Add the paste to the pre-marinated chicken and marinate for another 2 hours.

Step 4:     Heat the oil in a pan. Add the chicken and stir on high heat for 5 minutes. Add ½ to 1 cup warm water depending on how thick you want the gravy. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes till the chicken is cooked.

Garnish with chopped green corriander and serve hot with chappatis, rotis, naans or a side dish with rice.