Chicken Pasanda (Indian)
Ready In: 45 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (clarified butter) or 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 1⁄2 inches piece cinnamon sticks (dalchini)
- 2 -3 green cardamom pods
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, very finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
- 5 tablespoons full cream yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 skinless chicken breasts or 4 skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, prepared as in method
- chopped fresh coriander, leaf (to garnish, cilantro)
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Heat the ghee in a large heavy pan then add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high.
- Add the cinnamon and cardamons, stir a little then turn the heat down to low and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic, stir and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat stirring now and again to make sure nothing browns or burns.
- Add the turmeric, coriander and chili powder and fry gently for a minute.
- Add 1 tablespoon of yoghurt, stir round and turn the heat up so the yoghurt sizzles in the oil (don't worry, it won't split if you've used full cream yoghurt).
- When the yoghurt has lost a lot of it's moisture add another tablespoon. Stir and fry as before.
- Repeat until all the yoghurt is incorporated.
- Add the tomato purée and stir.
- Stir in hot water - enough to make the mixture very fluid.
- Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes.
- Add salt to taste.
- While the sauce is cooking, heat a frying pan at low to moderate then add the flaked almonds. Move the almonds around the pan so they don't burn and heat until they have just taken on a brown colour. Remove from pan and blend in a mixi with a little water to make paste.
- Heat a little oil in a separate frying pan and stir-fry the chicken pieces over a moderate heat until they are sealed and have turned whitish.
- Add almond paste to the sauce and stir. Then add the chicken & simmer gently for another 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and soft. Stir from time to time. If the sauce gets too dry add a little hot water.
- At the end of the cooking you should have a fairly thick, creamy sauce with little patches of oil appearing at the top. Remove the cinnamon and cardamons (if you can find them!).
- Serve, garnished with chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves.
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