This authentic chicken curry recipe uses domestic chicken for a traditional, home-cooked chicken curry, perfect for family dinners or for unexpected guests.
Put Desi chicken pieces in a pot with 6 cups water and 1/2 tbsp garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Take out the chicken and set aside the stock.
Heat up 1/3 cup of oil. Add chopped onions and fry till light golden brown.
Add ginger and garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes away and the mixture turns golden brown and the oil separates.
Add tomatoes and fry until they are soft.
Empty this mixture into a blender, try to leave behind as much oil as you can in the pot. Blend until the mixture is of uniform consistency.
In empty pot, add 2 tbsp oil and heat the oil.
Add cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. Wait for the cumin seeds to start crackling.
Add the salt, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Fry until the raw smell of the turmeric goes away. Don't let the spices burn while you do this. Add more oil if necessary, but NOT water.
Add coriander powder, nutmeg and black caraway seeds. Fry for a bit until the spices are well incorporated into the mixture.
Add the mixture from the blender. Fry until oil separates.
Add the chicken pieces. Stir fry for about 5-10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock. Stir to incorporate completely. Cover and bring to a boil, then let simmer until the chicken is tender OR transfer to pressure cooker and cook until chicken is done.
Boil down to desired consistency. This comes down to personal preference. For a thicker gravy, boil on high flame so that the water evaporates quickly without overcooking your chicken.
Taste for salt and spices, adjust if necessary.
Garnish with green coriander and green chilies (optional).
You do not need to use a Desi (domestic) chicken for this recipe. If you are using a regular, broiler chicken, do not boil it in the beginning, as this will overcook the chicken. If you are using a domestic chicken, don't skip this step! This will bring out the natural flavor of the chicken, and you will really be able to taste the difference between a broiler chicken and a Desi chicken.