Badami Chicken (Bombay Bible Style)

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken (curry cut)
• 1 tsp Turmeric (for marinade)
• 1.2 cup Fresh curd (dahi) (for marinade)
• Salt (as per taste)
• 4 tbsp Desi ghee
• 4 Onions (large, finely chopped)
• 0.5 tsp Caraway seeds (shahjeera)
• 6 Dried red chillies (torn, for masala base)
• 4 Green cardamom (ground into powder)
• 4 Cloves (ground into powder)
• 4 Cinnamon (ground into powder (approx 4 small sticks))
• 10 Red chillies (for ginger-garlic-chilli paste)
• 6 clove Garlic (for ginger-garlic-chilli paste)
• 1.5 inch Ginger (for ginger-garlic-chilli paste)
• 1 cup Coconut milk
• 50 g Cashew (kaju) paste
• 50 g Almond (badam) paste (use milk to blend)
• Blanched almonds (generous handful, sliced for garnish)
• 4 Dried red chillies (for garnish)
• Fresh ginger (julienned for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, combine the curry-cut chicken with 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1.2 cups of fresh curd (dahi), and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly to ensure every piece is coated. Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour.

2. 2

   Prepare your spice components: Grind the 4 cardamom pods, 4 cloves, and 4 cinnamon pieces into a fine powder. Separately, grind the 10 red chillies, 6 garlic cloves, and 1.5 inches of ginger into a smooth paste. Prepare the nut paste by blending 50g cashews and 50g almonds with a little milk until smooth.

3. 3

   Heat 4 tablespoons of desi ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onions and fry until they are deep golden brown. Remove the onions from the pot and set them aside.

4. 4

   In the same pot with the remaining ghee, add 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds (shahjeera) and 5-6 torn dried red chillies. Sauté briefly until fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the prepared ginger-garlic-chilli paste to the pot. Sauté well until the raw smell disappears and the mixture browns. Add the powdered spices (cardamom, clove, cinnamon) and the fried onions back into the pot, stirring to combine.

6. 6

   Add the marinated chicken along with all the marinade into the pot. Cook briefly for a few minutes, stirring to allow the chicken to absorb the flavors of the masala.

7. 7

   Pour in 1 cup of coconut milk and add salt to taste. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low-medium heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through (off-the-bone tender).

8. 8

   Stir in the cashew and almond paste. Continue to simmer the gravy gently until the oil begins to separate from the sauce.

9. 9

   Garnish the dish with a generous handful of sliced blanched almonds, 3-4 dried red chillies, and julienned fresh ginger. Serve hot.

Notes

Adapted from the Time & Talents Club, a recipe by Khorshed Treasurywalla. The key to the dish is the one-hour marination and the browning of the onions and ginger-garlic paste until fragrant.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• chicken
• Parsi
• Indian
• curry
• Badami Chicken
• slow-cooked
• nut-based sauce