Recipe - Chicken Curry North Indian Style

1 pound Chicken drumsticks, thighs
Breast piece
1 small Carton Plain Yogurt
2 md Onions very finely chopped
4 tablespoon Vegetable oil
2 Cloves
One half teaspoon Mustard Powder
2 Pods Cardamom
One half teaspoon Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Chilli Powder
One half Inch Ginger
4 Pods Garlic
1/3 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
To taste Salt
One half teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

1. Remove fat from the chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken. Sprinkle with
chili powder. Add yogurt and mix well till the chicken is covered
liberally with yogurt. Use your hands. Set aside for 1 hour before
cooking. If kept in the refrigerator, set aside for at least 4 hours. 2.
Heat oil in a large heavy pan. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds if
using mustard seeds. Add cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds. Fry for 30
seconds. 3. Add the onion and fry for two minutes till onion beings to
turn. Lower heat to medium. 4. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 4
6 minutes. 5. Add mustard powder if using powder, add garam masala, add
cumin powder. 6. Brush excess yogurt off the chicken and put in a large
pot. Add ingredients from frying pan. Cook uncovered over high heat for 4
minutes. 7. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 25 minutes or till the
chicken is tender, stirring every 5 minutes. 8. Important note: When
chicken is cooked with a cover on the pot, it releases water that becomes a
part of the sauce. If after 10 minutes, there isn't enough sauce in the
pot, add One fourth cup water. Conversely if there is too much liquid in the
pot, cook uncovered till the liquid evaporates.

Variations There are several variations to the above recipe:

1. Leave out the yogurt. Add One fourth cup of water just before turning the heat
to low and covering the pot. 2. Boil two potatoes for 10 minutes before
slicing them thinly. Add potatoes into the pot when you start cooking the
chicken. 3. This variation is usually called "Malai Chicken" or literally
"creamy" chicken. Leave out the yogurt. When the chicken is Three fourths done, add
one small can of tomato paste. Just before removing a small carton of
whipping cream and cook for a few minutes.

Recipe By : Somesh Rao

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini