Ingredients
* 4 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 Bay leaves
* 4 Cloves
* 6 green cardamom pods
* 2 black cardamom pods
* 1 small-medium Onion, sliced
* 1 tbsp root Ginger, peeled
* 5 cloves Garlic
* 3/4 tsp red Chilli powder, (or paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder)
* 1 tsp ground Coriander
* 3 medium-large Tomatoes, puréed in a blender
* 650g Chicken thighs, skinned
* plain boiled rice, to serve
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and add the bay leaves, cloves, green cardamom and black cardamom. Fry for about 15 seconds.
2. Add the onion and fry until golden-brown.
3. Make a fine paste of the ginger and garlic and a little water in a blender. Add the ginger and garlic paste to the pan and cook until the excess liquid has dried up – about 30 seconds.
4. Add salt, to taste, the chilli powder, cumin, coriander and puréed tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until oil is released from the ingredients – around 10-15 minutes.
5. Add 200ml of water and bring to the boil. Taste and add salt if necessary.
6. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook, covered, until the chicken is tender and cooked through – around 30-40 minutes.
7. Remove the lid and add a splash of boiling water if the sauce is looking too thick. If the sauce seems too watery, remove the chicken and cook over a high heat until the volume of liquid has reduced, then add the chicken back to the pan.
8. Serve hot with plain boiled rice.
