Chicken Masala

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 chicken (approx. 1.5 kg)
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 stalk(s) cinnamon
• 4 large onions
• 2 tsp, heaped ginger (ginger puree)
• 5 tsp garlic powder (garlic puree)
• 2 chili peppers, dried
• 400 g tomatoes, chopped from the can
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 4 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 400 ml water
• 1 tbsp spice mix (garam masala)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• some oil or ghee
• 10 curry leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

spicy Indian chicken curry with little sauce

Cut the chicken into large pieces (thighs, breast, wings) and cut the breast crosswise again. Peel off the skin and mix it in a large bowl or casserole dish with the salt and turmeric, massaging in the spices (disposable gloves are recommended if you don’t want yellow hands from the turmeric). Let it marinate for about 1 hour. Finely chop the onions. Heat a little oil in a very large pot or roasting pan and briefly sear the chicken pieces on all sides, then remove from the pot and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the fennel seeds, then add the onions and fry until golden brown. Add the ginger, garlic, dried chilies, and cinnamon stick and fry briefly. Deglaze with the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, pepper, garam masala, and curry leaves and stir to combine. Return the chicken pieces to the sauce and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, then on low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce has reduced considerably, practically wrapping itself around the chicken. At the end of the cooking time, be careful not to burn the sauce or chicken. Serve with rice or naan bread.