Sachins’ Bob Arora shares a curry from his restaurant repertoire which has been adapted for cooking and sharing at home with family and friends.
Desi chicken
Author: Bob Arora
Ingredients
- 2tbsp vegetable oil
- 1tsp cumin seeds
- 2 star anise
- 1tsp coriander seeds
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- Salt, to taste
- 400g tin of plum tomatoes
- 1tsp turmeric
- 1tsp chilli powder
- 1tsp garam masala
- Fresh chilli, finely chopped (to taste)
- 100ml water
- 1½tbsp tomato purée
- 2tbsp plain yoghurt
- 2 chicken breasts, chopped into chunks
- Fresh coriander, finely chopped (to taste)
Method
- Warm the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the cumin seeds, star anise, coriander seeds, and green cardamom pods. Fry for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the finely chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown. Stir in the ginger and garlic paste, and cook for another minute, being careful not to let it stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a pinch of salt and the tin of plum tomatoes. Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes as they cook. You should now have a thick sauce/masala.
- Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, and finely chopped chillies. Pour in 100ml of water, put the lid on the pan, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15-20 mins, allowing the flavours to deepen. Add the tomato purée and stir it into the masala.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the yoghurt. Add the chicken and return the pan to the heat. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, stir in the fresh coriander, and serve with rice or naan.
