← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in chicken, curry cut, skin removed
• 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 6 dried red chillies (half Kashmiri, half hot)
• 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1½ tsp black peppercorns
• 4 Cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 Star anise
• 1 piece blade of mace (optional)
• 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
• 40 g dried (desiccated) coconut
• 2 onions, divided, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 2 Tomato, chopped
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Ground coriander
• 500 ml hot water
• 2 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, salt and lemon juice and leave for 30 min.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Roast the chillies and whole spices for 2 min until fragrant, then add half the onion and cook for 6–8 min until browned. Add the sesame seeds and coconut and stir for 3–4 min until golden.
3. Cool slightly, then blend with the garlic and about 150 ml water into a fine paste.
4. Heat the curry oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the curry leaves and the rest of the onion and fry for 8 min until golden. Add the tomatoes and chilli powders and coriander and cook for 5 min.
5. Add the masala paste and fry for 5–6 min, stirring, until the oil separates and turns red.
6. Add the chicken and cook for 5 min, then pour in the hot water. Cover and simmer for 20–25 min, until the chicken reaches 75°C (165°F) and a thin layer of red oil floats on top.
7. Scatter with coriander and serve with jowar bhakri, chapati or rice, plus a bowl of the thin gravy (rassa) to sip.

Tips

• Kolhapur is famous for heat, but you control it: use only Kashmiri chillies for a milder, brightly coloured curry.
• Contains sesame.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Yummy Tummy Aarthi Sanjeev Kapoor