An easy Indian chicken masala dish that you can make at home with a few pantry staples makes for a great weeknight meal along with rice or flatbreads.
You will need:
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Red onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Ginger - a thick 1" knob
Garlic - 3-4 large cloves
Green chilies - 1-2, chopped
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp (see Notes)
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Chicken - 1 lb (boneless thighs cut into small pieces)
Cilantro leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - ½ tsp, freshly cracked
Lime juice - 1 tsp, freshly squeezed
How to:
Before we begin, make sure you have everything prepped and ready to go. Chop the onions and make a paste out of ginger, garlic and green chilies. I usually have the paste prepped and ready in the fridge. You can also use a tablespoon of store-bought paste instead.
Heat oil in a large, thick-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
Add onions and saute on medium-high till they are lightly browned. Add the ginger-garlic-chili paste and saute for a few seconds till the raw smell goes away.
Add the tomato paste and saute for a few seconds till you can see the oil begin to separate at the sides. (See notes on how to use a fresh tomato.)
Now add the turmeric, red chili, coriander and garam masala powders. Mix to combine and stir for a few seconds.
Add the chicken pieces and chopped cilantro. Mix to coat well with the masala. Cook on low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring now and then to keep it from sticking.
Add a cup of water and salt to taste. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 10-15 minutes (it will take longer for bone-in pieces).
Open the lid, check seasoning and stir in freshly cracked black pepper. At this point, you can serve it as a curry or reduce it further till the masala is very thick and coats the chicken pieces.
Stir in a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end and keep the dish covered till you are ready to serve.
Serve hot with rice or chapati along with raita (seasoned yogurt), slices of red onion and wedges of lime.
Notes:
1. If you do not have tomato paste, you can either leave it out or use a chopped tomato. If using a fresh tomato, cook it till it is mushy and continue cooking till you can see oil separating at the sides. 2. Add Kashmiri red chili powder to give a nice red color to the dish. 3. You can use chicken drumsticks or other bone-in pieces, but the cooking time will vary.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2018/01/04/everyday-chicken-masala/