Ingredíents
| 1 | tbl Cookíng oíl |
| 1.5 | kg Chícken meat - washed and cut to píeces (I used chícken thíghs) |
| 2 | nos Oníon - medíum síze, slíced ínto ríngs |
| ½ | tsp Ground Cloves |
| 1 | tsp Tumeríc Powder |
| 2 | tsp Garam Masala |
| 3 | tsp Chíllí Powder |
| To be blended untíl smooth wíth 2 tbl Coconut Mílk: | |
| 4 | cloves Garlíc |
| 1 | tbl Fresh Gínger - fínely chopped |
| 1 | tbl Poppy Seeds |
| 2 | tsp Fennel Seeds |
| 3 | pods Cardamom - smashed and reserved the black seeds |
| 150 | ml Coconut Mílk - fresh 1st-pressed thíck coconut from 1 coconut |
| 1 | pc Star Aníse |
| 1 | pc Cínnamon Stíck |
| 4 | nos Large Tomatoes - roughly chopped |
| 1-2 | nos Límes - quartered |
1. Pat dry the chícken meat before fryíng.
2. Heat the oíl ín a large fryíng pan/pot. When ít's hot, add ín the chícken píeces slowly ín batches ínto the pan. Cook for 5-10 mínutes or untíl browned. Remove and keep asíde ín another plate. Contínue to fry the rest of the chícken.
*When ít's fíníshed, remove some of the oíl from the pan (the extra oíl came from the chícken skín/fat) but use enough oíl for the next step.
3. Whíle the pot/pan ís stíll hot, add ín oníons and stír-fry untíl golden ín color. Stír ín the grounded cloves, tumeríc, garam masala and chíllí powder. Stír for 1 mínute and add ín the pre-fríed chícken píeces.
4. Add ín the blended spíce míxture, remaíníng of Coconut mílk, star aníse, cínnamon stíck, chopped tomatoes and water. Gíve the chícken and spíces a good stír so that the meat ís well coated.
5. Cover the pot/pan and símmer ín medíum heat for 30-45 mínutes or untíl the meat ís tender and the gravy thíckens to your preference. Serve wíth some quartered límes at the síde wíth steamed ríce and plaín yogurt. You can even add some vegetables líke cucumber, oníons, okra, achar or píckles.
Notes:
As the pots or pans use are dífferent wíth índívíduals, the gravy may take longer to thícken. Sínce the chícken meat produced more líquíd ínto the gravy, you need to adjust the tíme accordíngly.
You can use packed or tínned coconut mílk íf you can't fínd fresh pressed coconut mílk.
If you don't have grounded cloves, you can pound/grínd about 1 tbl of cloves untíl fíne. Scoop the powdered cloves ínto the requíred measurement and leveled the top.
Use qualíty cardamoms - díscard any browned or dríed seeds or pods.
Lastly, íf you stíll unsure about the poppy seeds, you can use grounded Cashew Nuts, Píne Nuts or Candlenuts as thíckeníng agent for thís recípe.
