Chicken curries have gained a lot of popularity the world over and one such flavorful curry is Kadai Chicken, a North Indian traditional chicken dish which is rich, creamy and spicy gravy cooked in a blended paste of tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, green chillis, cashewnut paste and Indian spices. It’s has a subtle sweet note which comes from the cashwenuts and is a curry that is sure to please.

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken (cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces, you can also use boneless chicken)
4 medium sized onions (make a paste)
2 green chillis slit length wise
2 whole dry red chilli (optional)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 cup tomato puree
1 tsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)-optional
garam masala powder (pound 3 cloves, 2 green cardamom and 1” cinnamon into a powder)
cashewnut paste(soak 6-8 cashewnuts in a little milk for 20 mts and grind to a fine paste)
2-3 tbsp of oil
salt to taste

Heat oil in a vessel (also known as a kadai) and add the onion paste and fry it well till the oil separates. It should be well fried on medium heat till the raw smell of onions disappears and the paste turns golden brown. Ensure that you keep stirring so that the paste doesn’t burn and get stuck to the vessel.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 3 minutes. Add green chillis, whole dry red chillis, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt and mix well.
Add the tomato puree and let it cook on medium flame till the oil separates.
Add chicken and let it cook covered for about 5 minutes. Let the spices be absorbed by the chicken and let the chicken cook in its own juices.
Now add a small cup of water, garam masala powder, cashewnut paste and kasoori methi and mix well. Cook for 8-10 minutes covered on a low flame till you get the curry consistency. If you want more gravy add more water.
Serve hot with rotis (Indian flatbreads)/naan or rice.

Some other preparations of Indian meat curries are the traditional simple South Indian chicken curry and Mutton Korma (Hyderabadi cuisine) which is lamb cooked in yogurt and fresh coconut.

Note: If you dont have kasturi methi at hand, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. This curry can also be prepared with lamb.