Chicken Afghani

Chicken Afghani - A delicious and creamy chicken curry, goes well Naan / Rotis / Pulao …

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For brown onion paste:

3 tablespoon oil

2 onions (medium size), thinly sliced (separate each layer)

½ teaspoon sugar

Method

Heat oil in a frying pan / karahi on a medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions and fry till light golden color (approximate time 10 -12 minutes).  Do not fry on high heat.

At this stage (color changes form pink to light golden and no moisture), add ½ teaspoon sugar and fry / toss on a medium to low heat for another 8 minutes / until done.  It will become crisp and golden color. Switch off the heat . Carefully remove fried onions from oil and keep aside to cool for 15 minutes. Do not use remaining oil for other cooking purpose. Make a smooth paste of fried onions in a small mixer. Do not add water when making paste.

For brown cashew nut paste:

10 cashew nuts

1 tablespoon oil

Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat. Fry cashew nuts until golden color on a medium to low heat. Carefully remove from the oil and keep aside for 15 minutes. Make a smooth paste of fried cashew nuts  in a small mixer bowl with 2 tablespoon water. Keep aside.

For  chicken:

500 g chicken, cut into medium pieces

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. In a wide bowl, marinate chicken  pieces with turmeric powder, red chilli powder  and salt. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

For the curry:

1 tablespoon  oil

3 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cardamom

2 onion, finely sliced

2 tablespoon ginger – garlic paste (fresh & homemade)

Brown onion paste

¾  teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon pepper powder

Marinated  chicken  pieces

3/4  teaspoon salt (or to taste)

150 ml water (approximately ¾ cup water in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity).  It won’t be tasty if the gravy is too thin.

Brown cashew nut paste

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and pepper powder in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside (spice mix).

In a frying  pan or a karahi, heat oil  on a medium heat. Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and fry on a low heat until fragrant. 

Add sliced onions and fry until golden color.

Add ginger – garlic paste and fry on a low heat for 1 – 2 minute until the raw smell goes.

Add brown onion paste and mix well.

Add  diluted spice mix powder  and  mix well. Fry on a low heat for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes and well combined with other ingredients.

Add marinated  chicken pieces and adjust salt to taste.  Add 3/4 cup / 150 ml  water when cooking. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for  25  - 30 minutes until  almost done / chicken pieces almost cooked.

At this stage, add brown cashew nut paste and mix well. Cover again and cook on a low heat for another 10 minutes / until the gravy thickens / fragrant. Adding brown cashew nut paste will make creamy and rich  curry. Sprinkle chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve with Indian breads / pulao …