Ingredients:
[Serves-4-5]
small onions – 500 gms
Black curry powder – 1/2 cup (or depending on how spicy you want it)
cumin seeds (jeera) – 2-3 tsps
saunf – 2-3 tsps
kas-kas – 2 tsps
cloves – 3-4
cinnamon – 1/2 inch
cardamom – 2-3
ginger – 1 inch piece
garlic – 8-9 medium size flakes
salt to taste
turmeric – a pinch
mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
small or big onions for seasoning
oil – 3-5 tbsp
water
Black curry powder:
chillies – 1kg
corriander seeds -2 kg
cumin seeds (jeera) – 250gms
pepper – 50 -100 gms
Method:
There is no need to add other spices like saunf, cloves, etc. They can be added while preparing the curry. Roast the chillies, corriander, cumin and pepper seperately in a hard bottom pan on low fire. The colour of the spices should turn dark as our gravies are usually dark (nearly black) in colour. Be careful not to over-roast. Mix the ingredients together and get them ground in a grinding or pounding machine. Pounding is a better option inorder to maintain the flavour of the spices. Cool the masala powder as soon as after it is ground. Seive and store properly. This masala can be used for more than a year if stored well.
Method:
- Clean and wash the chicken pieces well. Marinate the chicken in black curry powder, salt and turmeric.
- Warm the spices (cumin, saunf, kas-kas, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom). Grind them in a mixer along with ginger and garlic and keep aside.
- Peel the small onions, wash and cut the larger ones into 2-3 pieces and fry in a little oil on low fire. Keep stirring the onions so that they are uniformly and thoroughly fried. Remove from fire, cool and then make it into a paste in a mixer.
- Mix the onion paste with the marinated chicken.
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and the onions. Fry till onions turn golden in colour. Add the masala-ginger-garlic paste and saute. Then add the marinated chicken and water (according to how thick you want the curry to be). Cook for 20 – 25 minutes or till chicken is done.
