Maria NasirIf you are a regular follower of my blog, you must have read and probably already enjoyed my first Nepalese recipe Chicken Bhutuwa which is a delightful melange of chicken, vegetables and spices. As the first experiment turned out so delicious and became such an instant hit with my family that I decided to dig deeper into the treasure trove of Nepali recipes.
While searching online, to my astonishment, I found that there aren’t many details available on the beautiful Nepali cuisine and specially it’s hard to find recipes with photographs. As I was reading about this delicious curry, I felt the spice ingredients were almost exactly the same as what we use here in Pakistan and I wondered whether the recipe would be any different at all or not. The very curiosity made me try it out.
The verdict from my husband after the first bite was a long “mmmmmmm” of enjoyment and then he asked what was it because it tasted very different from our usual chicken curry. I guess it’s the procedure that makes all the difference to the taste. Frying the spices first in the oil gives the curry a burst of flavour that you can feel in the very first mouthful. Adding the tomatoes towards the end gives it a vibrant colour which is very appetising.
To make a mild version, reduce the quantity of red chillies in the curry because there are also black peppercorns in there that get simmered with the curry and add their own heat. The dominant flavour in the spices is of the divine green cardamom seeds that we make to splutter in the oil first that’s why I have named it Cardamom Chicken Curry.
Enjoy and don’t forget to leave your feedback.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
3 medium tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
2-3 cloves
4-5 black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Seeds from 4 green cardamoms
Salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
This Is What You Do:
Add the chopped onions and fry till the onions are golden. Add chicken pieces and continue to fry on medium heat till the chicken pieces change colour.
Add ginger-garlic paste and all the powdered spices; turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, reduce heat and cover the pan to allow the tomatoes and chicken to release their juices and cook in them.
Remove the lid after almost 8-10 minutes. Add enough water to make gravy, almost one and a half glass. Put the lid back on and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes to allow the gravy to come together.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with Pulao or Roti.