357 – Indian Pepper Chicken Curry Recipe / وصفة الدجاج مع الفلفل و الكاري

Ingredients :

• 1 small chicken (1.5 pounds / 0.5 Kg) cut into medium sized pieces
• 2 cups plain yogurt + 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 small onions
• 2 green chillis
• 3 small tomatoes
• A large bunch of fresh cilantro
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds
• Masala Ingredients:
• 4 teaspoons of white poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 green cardamom pods
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole mace
• 4 teaspoons of whole black pepper (peppercorn)
• 1/2 a medium sized onion

Directions :

Step 1: Making the Masala
1- Using a spice (or coffee) grinder, grind the spices (poppy seeds, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, mace, and black pepper) and the onion together. You will get a grainy mixture.
2- Then add a little bit of water (around 2 tablespoons) and continue mixing until you get a smooth paste.

Step 2: Marinating the Chicken
1- Mix the 2 cups of yogurt with 1/2 cup of water.
2- Place the chicken pieces in a bowl.
3- Add the masala paste and and yogurt mixture to the chicken. Mix well.
4- Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, and salt. Mix well.
Note: if you don’t have ginger paste and garlic paste, just crush fresh ginger and fresh garlic instead.
5- Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Preparing the rest of the ingredients
1- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Slice 1 onion and finely chop the other 2.
2- Slice the green chillis in the middle and chop the tomatoes into small cubes.
3- Roughly chop the cilantro. No need to cut the mint leaves, just detach them from the mint branches (discard the branches).

Step 4: Cooking the Chicken
1- In a large deep pan, heat the vegetable oil with the whole cumin seeds for 2 minutes.
2- Add the 2 green chillis and cook for 30 seconds.
3- Add the chopped onions and cook until they become golden brown. Stir constantly.
4- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for around 3 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
5- Add the marinated chicken along with the marinade, the sliced onion, and the mint leaves. Mix well.
6- Cover the cook on medium-high heat for around 20-30 minutes until the chicken is done. To test if it is done, try to cut through the chicken with a fork, it should slice easily.
7- Once the chicken is done, add the chopped cilantro and mix well. Cook for another 3 minutes.