Chicken Kadhai Wala

Chicken, marinated in ginger garlic paste and yogurt, is cooked in 'kadhai' or wok with garam masala, which gives it a rich dark color and flavor. It is a semi dry curry which can be eaten with paratha or tandoori roti.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Chicken (diced in big pieces)
• 2 cups onion thinly chopped
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 2 Bay leaves
• ½ tsp Shahjeera
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon
• ½ cup tomato puree
• 1 tbsp garam masala (as per taste)
• 5-6 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

For Marination:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp green chili paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients of the marinade with the chicken and keep aside for 2 hours.
• Heat oil in a kadhai (wok), add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and shahjeera. Sauté it for few seconds.
• Add the sliced onions and grated ginger, fry until golden brown. Add tomato puree, stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat for a few minutes. Reduce the heat, add garam masala powder and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or till chicken is tender and dry. Add salt (as per the requirement).
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve in kadhai itself with Paratha or Tandoori Roti.

Do You Know?
A Kadhai is a type of thick circular and deep vessel similar in shape to a wok. Kadhai is used in Indian and Pakistani cooking.
Kadhai are traditionally made out of cast iron, although other materials like stainless steel, copper and non stick varieties do exist.
Although Kadhai is useful for shallow or deep frying of meat, vegetables, sweets, and snacks such as samosa etc., its name is also associated with various kinds of dishes such as “chicken kadhai” and “kadhai paneer” because they are commonly prepared in the cooking pot.