Maharashtrian Chicken curry –

Ingredients –

Chicken ½ kg/ approx. 1 pound

Onions – 3 medium, sliced

Tomato -2 medium, finely chopped

Garlic cloves – 5-6

Ginger – ½“

Red chili powder – 1 t-spoon

Turmeric powder – 1/4^th t-spoon

Green chilies – 1-2

Oil – 3 tb-spoons

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves

Masala to be grind –

Dry grated coconut – 1/4^th bowl

Red chilies – 3

Coriander seeds – 1 t-spoon

Cumin seeds – ½ t-spoon

Cinnamon stick - 1

Cloves – 2-3

Black cardamom – 1

Funnel seeds (saunf) – ½ t-spoon

Poppy seeds – 1 t-spoon

Dagadphool – 2 (optional use if you have it in your pantry)

Procedure –

1. Heat 2 tb-spoons of oil in a pan. Add cloves, black cardamom, poppy seeds, funnel seeds, coriander and cumin seeds and cinnamon and sauté till the spices leave nice aroma. Take out and keep aside.

2. Add red chilies and grated coconut in the same pan and roast for a while. Take out and keep aside.

3. Add sliced onions into the pan and sauté till they become brown. Mix onions with remaining masala mixture and add ginger, garlic and green chili and grind into fine paste.

4. Heat remaining oil in a pan. Add masala paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add chicken pieces and sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Add chopped tomato, red chili powder, two bowls of water and salt to taste. Let the gravy boil for 2 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with lid and cook chicken for 15-20 minutes.

6. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with roti, Jwarichi Bhakri or plain rice along with lemon/lime pieces and sliced onion.