Chicken Kokum Curry Masala

PREP GUIDE

1. Soak 5 large kokum in 1/4 cup water (soaking time: 20 minutes)
2. Puree 1 small onion with 1 small green chili and set aside
3. Grind spices to make Bunt chili powder mix (ingredients listed in marination)

INGREDIENTS: For marination

2 chicken breasts, cut up in cubes

2 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste mix 

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Bunt chili powder mix (grind to powder: 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, 2-3 peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried garlic powder)

INGREDIENTS: Other

1 small onion, chopped roughly, ground to paste with a small green chili
2 teaspoon tandoori masala
1 cup tomato puree
4 kokum (soaked in 1/4 cup water for 20 minutes, squeezed to extract water and residue discarded)
5 curry leaves

INGREDIENTS: For tempering3 bay leaves
3 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
5 black peppercorns
1 inch cinnamom stick
½ teasponn cumin seeds
1 pinch of hing (optional)

MARINATE THE CHICKENMarinate the chicken with 2 TBSP ginger and garlic paste, 1 TSP lemon juice, salt, 1/2 TSP turmeric powder, bunt chilli powder, and a tablespoon of oil.

PREPARE TEMPERINGAdd 1/2 cup oil to a cooking pot and heat it.
Add 3 bay leaves, 3 cardamom pods, 5 cloves, 5 black peppercorns, 1" cinnamon stick, 1 TBSP cumin seeds and a pinch of hing (asafoetida) (optional). Saute at low heat till spices crackle and give off an aroma.

COOKING THE RESTAdd the pureed onion along with 5 curry leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until onion paste turns light brown.
Add the tomato puree along with the kokum extract. Add tandoori masala powder and salt as needed. Stir and mix until oil separates.
Add the marinated chicken and cook until meat changes color (from raw pink to white).
Lower the heat and add about a cup of water. Cover and cook on low medium heat until the chicken is cooked. 

A post shared by The Abbie (@abbiesadventures) on Sep 4, 2018 at 7:40pm PDT