MURGH KA SALAN - CHICKEN CURRY   back.jpg (2643 bytes)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2.5 cm stick of cinnamon chilli powder to taste
4 green cardamoms, bruised a little water
4 cloves 1.5 kg corn-fed chicken
4 black peppercorns 2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 star anise 25 g creamed coconut, crumbled
2 onions, sliced finely salt to taste
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, crushed finely To garnish:
6 cloves of garlic, crushed finely coriander leaves
1 tablespoon ground coriander flaked almonds
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat the oil on a high heat in a large, heavy pan and fry the whole spices until aromatic. Add the onions and fry them until they are golden brown. Reduce the heat a little and add the ginger and garlic and fry until the raw smell disappears.

Mix the ground spices including the chilli powder with salt to taste into a paste with a little water. Reduce the heat further and add the spice paste. Stir-fry until the water has evaporated and the oil begins to separate from the spices.

Using a heavy cleaver, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, including the bone. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and continue to stir-fry until all the pieces are evenly browned. The whole spices may be discarded now or after the chicken is fully cooked. Cover the pan and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Juices released from the chicken should be sufficient to cook the chicken but check and if necessary sprinkle on a few drops of hot water.

After 30 minutes, add the tomato puree and coconut and mix well. This curry should have a nice thick gravy, but if you prefer it lighter mix up to 125 ml hot water with the coconut before adding it. Check for seasoning and leave to simmer until the chicken is fully done which should take another 15 to 30 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and flaked almonds.