Bhojpuri Chicken Curry

It is one of the very few Bhojpuri recipes that I have in my collection . Bhojpuri cooking has a lot of Uttar Pradeshi cuisine influence. This curry is infused with tomato and garlic, seasoned in the spices which give out the aroma and the colour to the curry!!!

Preparation time - 1/2 an hour of marination +10 minutes

Cooking time - 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the marination:

Chicken - 500 gm, cut into medium sized pieces

Curd - 1 1/2 tbsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Dry fenugreek (methi) powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to tatse

For the masala paste:

Cinnamon -1/2'' stick

Green cardamom - 2

Black cardamom - 1

Ginger - 1'' piece

Garlic -8 cloves

Whole peppercorns - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp

Kashmiri red dry chillies - 3

For the gravy:

Onions - 2, big, roughly chopped

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder -3/4 tbsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cloves - 4

Cinnamon - 1'' stick

Green cardamom - 2

Black cardamom - 1

Mustard oil -  4 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 1 tsp, finely chopped

Method: 

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the marinade and keep for 1/2 an hour.

2. Grind the onions to a fine paste. Use a little water to make a fine paste of  all the ingredients               mentioned under masala paste above.

3. Heat mustard oil in a kadai, add the bay leaf,cloves, cinnamon and both the cardamoms.

4. After they stop fluttering, add onion paste stir till the color changes. Add the masala paste and stir       till the oil floats on the top.

5. Now add the chicken pieces along with the marinade. Mix well. Stir for 3-4 minutes continously.

    Add the tomatoes and mix well. Add 1/2 of water. Close and cook till done. Add 1 tbsp of ghee           and take off from heat. 

6. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.