Ingredients
Chicken 1 kg
Garam masala a pinch
Chopped onion 1
Chopped garlic 6 cloves
Almond paste 4 tbsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Whisked curd 1 cup
Milk 1/2 cup
Saffron strands 2-3
Dried apricots 10
Salt to taste
Method
Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel and add chopped onion and roast till it's soft. Add ginger and garlic and saute.
Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle garam masala powder and roast.
Reduce the flame and add the spice powders and continue roasting
till the raw smell disappears. Add little water and mix well till everything is properly blended.
Add whisked curd, mix in low flame and simmer for few minutes till everything blends well.
When oil clears on top, add almond paste and mix. Simmer this gravy for few minutes. Meanwhile boil the milk and drop saffron strands. Stir and add this to the simmering gravy.
Add chicken pieces, apricots and salt to this. Mix well to coat with the gravy. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook till oil clears on top. Mix the gravy well so that the entire mixture will turn creamy.
Pour the chicken pieces in the serving bowl. Heat just the gravy again to make it thicker. Finally pour this thick gravy over the delicately-cooked chicken. Serve with hot tandoori roti or laccha parantha.
courtesy Gurmeet Bhatia, regional chef, Pind Balluchi