Roasted Chicken Curry with Smoked Garam Masala

Origin:
This is a self designed recipe, based on the lines of Chicken Butter Masala. It involves roasting the chicken pieces first followed by braising it. The other aspect to it is the garam masalas are first roasted and then ground/powdered.


Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 1 hour


Ingredients:1. Chicken - 1 kg cut into big pieces.A sample is cutting the chicken leg into 2 pieces - the thigh and the drumstick. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Keep it aside.Make incisions in the chicken pieces so that the spices are sucked into them.

2. Oil - 6 table spoon

Roasted Chicken Curry

3. Ghee - 2 table spoon

4.Jeera powder - 2-3 tsp

5.Turmeric powder - 2-3 tsp

6.Corainder powder - 2-3 tsp

7.Kashmiri mirch powder - 2 tsp.

8.Dry fenugreek leaves(kasuri methi) - 2 tsp.

9.Bay leaf - 2
10.Dry red chillis(sukno lanka) - 5 pieces
11.Cumin(Jeera) seeds - 2 tsp.


12.Garam masalas:
         i. Green cardamon - 5-6 pieces.Peel the cover and separate the pods
         ii.Black cardamon - 2-3 pieces.Peel the cover and separate the pods
         iii.Black pepper - 10-12
         iv.Cinnamon - 2 1" pieces
         v.Jaiphal - Half a jaiphal
         vi.Javitri - quarter of a flower
         vii. Shahi jeera - 1 tsp
         viii.Shah marich - 8-10 pieces
         ix.Cloves - 4-5


13.Onions: 3 large sized.Make half of the onion into a fine paste and cut the rest half longitudinally
14.Garlic: 10-12 cloves.Made into a fine paste
15.Ginger: One 1" piece.Made into a fine paste
16.Tomato: 5 medium sized. Made into a fine paste


17.Yoghurt: 100 ml whisked completely.


18.Salt - as per taste

Preparation:1. Roast the entire garam masalas as mentioned in Ingredient:12 until the smell of the spices fill the kitchen.Grind the spices into a fine powder.Keep aside.

2. Roast the dry fenugreek leaves and make into a fine powder.Keep aside.

3. Marinade the chicken with turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, kashmiri mirch powder, garlic paste, ginger paste, 2 table spoon of onion, salt for 1 hr. In the mean time pre-heat the oven(a conventional oven or a microwave with convection) to 175C.

4. Roast the chicken pieces in the oven for 30 mins at the end of which the pieces will acquire a fine golden-brown colour.

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add dry red chillies, cumin seeds and bay leaf and 2 green cardamons.This is the phoron.
2. After half a minute add the onion sliced longitudinally. Throw in an extra 4-5 crushed cloves of garlic.
3. Stir the ingredients thoroughly until the onion turns brown(One of the golden rules of cooking)
4. Add the roasted chicken pieces now and increase to high heat and stir continuously. This process is called koshano, until oil separates from the mixture.

5. Then add the
         i.Tomato paste
         ii.Remains of the chicken marinade
         iii. Onion paste 
to the chicken.
Keep the heat of the oven maintained to high, stirring continuously.

6. The chicken pieces should look reddish brown now. Add more salt, if required, at this point.

7. Pour the powdered garam masalas, dry fenugreek leave powder, whisked curd,melt ghee and mix the ingredients so that it becomes homogenous.

8. Add some warm water.Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 20-25 mins until the gravy is thick.The chicken should be done by now.

Serve hot.
Tastes best with roti. Chicken and roti also goes well with whisky.