Eating In

(Serves 4)
850gms chicken on the bone skinless cut to bite size pieces
6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
2” ginger roughly chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
2 dried mild red chillies
200gms white onions finely chopped
1 ½tsp mild chilli powder (or Kashmiri chilli powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
200gms tomatoes pureed to a paste (or tinned)
140gms yoghurt whisked
150mls water
140gms new potatoes
Salt to taste
1 tbsp garam masala
Coriander for garnish
For the shallots;
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200gms shallots peeled and halved
‘Do Pyaza’, meaning double onions, is a term used for this north Indian curry. Grind the garlic and ginger in a blender with a splash of water. In a large mixing bowl add the chicken and mix in the garlic ginger paste. Mix well and set aside for an hour or overnight. In a large heavy bottom sauce pan heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the bay leaves and chilli fry for a few seconds. Add the onion (if you can’t get white onions, which are milder, you could use red) and fry for 17-18 minutes. Stir well and as they begin to brown add the marinated chicken. Turn the heat up slightly and seal the chicken pieces all over for 7-8 minutes. Stir well and at this stage add chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, and coriander powder. Fry for a minute. Add the pureed tomato and mix well scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook for 4 minutes. Turn the heat back to medium and add the yoghurt a little at a time. Stir well making sure it doesn’t curdle for 6 minutes. Add water, new potatoes, and season to taste. Turn the heat to a low setting and cook the chicken curry for 20 minutes with the lid on. Stir half way through the cooking process. Turn the heat off and add the garam masala. Leave the chicken to rest. Heat the oil and fry the shallots for 5-6 minutes on each side over a medium heat until slightly charred. Add the fried shallots to the curry and stir well. Add a splash of water if the gravy is too thick. Garnish with coriander and lemon juice. Serve with rice or roti.