Murg Adraki

Chicken is one kind of meat that is really popular because it can be a very healthy humble meat option; but if you want you can also play it up and make it rich and dainty!! This dish, [Chicken cooked in a rich tomato and onion based gravy with ginger and Indian spices] is for those special nights when your plain daal [lentil soup] or your grilled chicken is just not doing it for you and you are in the mood for something special!

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

Whole chicken - Cleaned and cut into medium size pieces.

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Fresh cream - 4 tbsp

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Mix all the above really well (massage into the chicken pieces) and let it marinate overnight in a refrigerator or at least for an hour.

For the curry:

Tomatoes - 2 large, pureed.

Red Onion - 1 n 1/2 large, fine paste

Green chilies - 2-3, slit at the center

Ginger julienne - 2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cloves - 2-3

Cinnamon - 2 inch sticks, broken into smaller pieces

Green Cardamom - 2

Red chili powder - 2 tbsp (suit your taste)

Shahi Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds powder - 1 tbsp

Pepper powder - 1tbsp.

Thick Coconut milk/fresh coconut paste - 1/4 cup

Oil or Butter for cooking the chicken - 4tbsp

Coriander leaves - for garnish.

Salt to taste.

Method:

- Heat the oil in a deep, large pan and add bay leaf and cumin seeds

- When they start to splutter, add onion paste and saute till the raw smell is gone and it dries up a bit

- Add ginger/garlic paste, turmeric powder and saute till the raw smell is gone

- Next, add the whole spices - cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and saute for a minute.

- Add the tomato puree, mix and add the red chili powder, coriander seeds powder and let the tomatoes cook.

- When oil starts oozing out at the corners, add in the chicken, ginger julienne , slit green chilies, coconut milk/paste stir well and let it cook on a medium to low flame, for 10 - 12 minutes or till the chicken is done to your liking.

- When finishing up, towards the last minute of  the cooking, add pepper powder. Finally, garnish with the coriander leaves and serve hot with Indian Basmati rice or Naan/Roti.

Tips:

- If chicken is over cooked, the meat tends to be chewy and dry, so be attentive and check on it.

- Not a fan of ginger? Now worries!! This dish can be turned into Murg Lasuni, by just substituting the ginger paste in the marinade to garlic paste and ginger julienne to finely chopped garlic. And if you don't like them both, well, just skip them altogether!

- If you like spicy food, you can grind up the whole spices - cloves,cinnamon,cardamom and use the powder.

Healthy twist:

- Instead of using whole chicken pieces, just use the breast part, it is the leanest part of chicken

- Reduce the oil by half and skip coconut milk or use the low fat variety.