Homestyle spicy tomato chicken

Homestyle Spicy Tomato Chicken

A delicious chicken curry, goes well with Rotis / Pulao / Rice / Brown bread / Wholewheat bread !!

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For chicken:

600 g chicken, cut into medium size pieces

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

Method

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. Wipe each piece with a kitchen towel. In a bowl, marinate chicken pieces evenly with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Keep aside for half an hour.

For the paste (masala):

10 cloves garlic, chopped

1 – inch piece ginger, chopped

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon pepper powder

2 cinnamon sticks – 1 inch in size (or ¼ level teaspoon cinnamon powder)

4 cloves (or 1/4 level teaspoon clove powder)

½ teaspoon saunf ( perumjeerakam/ fennel) or ¼ level teaspoon fennel powder

Make a smooth paste of above ingredients in a mixer. Sprinkle very little water when making the paste (1 tablespoon). Keep aside.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, finely sliced (separate each layer)

Spice paste (masala)

2 well ripe juicy tomatoes (2 big size or 3 small size), chopped (reserve juice)

6 curry leaves

Marinated chicken pieces

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

In a wide pan or kadai, heat oil. Add sliced onion and fry on a medium to low heat until golden color and crisp.

Add spice paste (masala) and stir well on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes or until the raw smell goes and thickens.

Add chopped well ripe juicy tomatoes and stir well until thickens. Gently mash tomatoes with the base of the ladle. Then it will blend well. Gently fry for 3 – 4 minutes until slightly thickens and well mixed with other ingredients and dark red in color.

Add curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes.

Add marinated chicken pieces and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Do not add water when cooking if you need a thick gravy (or you may add 100 ml / 1/2 cup water for slightly thin gravy). Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 30 – 35 minutes or until done / tomato gravy well coated on chicken pieces / dark red in color. Serve hot with Rotis / Rice / Pulao and other accompaniments (like dal tadka).