Nizami dum chicken

Recipe adapted from here

Chicken- 800 gms, with bone, cut into medium size pieces

Marinade

Yoghurt= 3 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala- 3/4th tsp

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder- 1 tbsp (more if you want it spicy)

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Ghee- 1/2 tbsp

Oil- 1 tbsp

Cinnamon- 1 inch piece

Black cardamom- 1

Bay leaf- 1

Coriander seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Fried onions- 1/2 cup ( i used store bought friend onions)

Cashews- 1/4 cup, soaked in water for 15 minutes, and ground to a fine paste

Kasuri methi- 1 tsp

Coriander leaves-1/4 cup, roughly chopped.

Marinate the cut chicken with all the ingredients under marinade.

Heat ghee and oil in a pan and add the whole spices.

When they start to sizzle, add the marinated chicken and fry on medium high heat for a few seconds.

Add the fried onions, mix well and cook covered for about 5 minutes.

Once the water is released, add around 1/2 to 3/4th cup of warm water and cover and cook on medium heat till the chicken is done. Stir in between, and add more water if required.

Mix the cashew paste followed by kasuri methi.

Simmer for another 5 more minutes and once the gravy becomes thick, add the coriander leaves.

Take it off heat and cover and leave till ready to serve.

Notes: This is an excellent chicken curry, especially to make on days when you are short on time. 

Not a lot of prep to be done, just the marinade and if you have store bought fried onions, then you are sorted.

The cashew paste, brings it all together. But I'm going to try it with coconut milk next time.

I've posted a step by step reel on Instagram

Bachelors chicken curry

Recipe adapted from here

Chicken- 800gms, with bone, cut into medium pieces

Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped

Tomato- 1 medium, finely chopped

Green chillies-2, slit

Curry leaves- a sprig

Ginger- 1 heaped tbsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tbsp

Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Coconut oil- 1 tbsp

Thin coconut milk- 1 1/2 cups

Thick coconut milk- 1/2 cup

Garam masala- 3/4th tsp

Pepper powder- 3/4th tsp (freshly ground)

Coriander leaves- 3 tbsp, roughly chopped

To temper

Coconut oil- 1 tbsp

Dried red chillies- 2, broken in half

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Shallots- 3 to 4, roughly chopped

Garlic- 2 large pods, finely chopped

Meat masala- 1 tsp

Mix together the first set of ingredients- chicken, all the way through to coconut oil- in a heavy bottom pan. Use your hands to nicely massage all those ingredients on to the chicken pieces.

Add the thin coconut milk and place on medium heat and cook with the lid on for about 25 to 30 minutes or till the chicken is cooked.

After about half an hour, the curry would be boiling away and the chicken cooked.

Add the thick coconut milk and cook with the lid open till the curry thickens and oil starts surfacing around the edges.

At this stage, add the garam masala, pepper powder and coriander leaves. 

Check salt and add more if necessary and give a good stir and switch off the heat.

In a separate pan, heat the coconut oil and add all the ingredients to temper.

On medium heat, keep stirring till the shallots and garlic turns a light golden brown.

Pour over the chicken curry, cover with a lid and keep aside for 15 minutes for the flavours to infuse

When ready to serve, give a good stir and enjoy with idiappam, chapathi, appam or even rice.

Notes: When i started off i wasn't very sure about the recipe because there was no sauteing the onions and masala, but instead everything was just boiled together. i hate seeing pieces of onions floating in a curry. But it soon comes together once you add the thick coconut milk and the watery curry reduces to a thicker gravy. 

The trick here is to let the curry thicken properly and have the chicken pieces coated in the curry.

Make sure you use good quality coconut milk. I used the Maggi coconut milk powder.

The meat masala in the tempering is purely optional but it makes such a difference.

I renamed the curry Bachelors chicken curry because, really it cant get easier than this. Other than chopping up a few ingredients, there is not much work. Just dump everything into a pot and cook. Perfect for those after work quick dinners.

Original recipe asked for potatoes, but i ditched it. Feel free to add it at around 20 minutes into the cooking time.

Works great with beef I'm sure. I will try that soon.