Chicken Frithad – East Indian Style

Step 1: Prepare the Spice Blend (Masala)

Add 10 Red Kashmiri Chillies, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 1 1/2 tsps Khus Khus (Poppy seeds), 6 Cloves, 4 Cardamoms, 1 inch stick Cinnamon, 6 black Peppercorns, 1 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds, and 1 tsp Turmeric to a food processor. Grind these dry spices until you get a fairly coarse powder.

Step 2: Blend Garlic and Water

To the ground spices, add 8 cloves of Garlic (sliced to help processing) and a little water. Blend until a nice, smooth masala paste is formed.

Step 3: Sauté Onions and Masala

In a sauté pan, add some oil. Then add about 3 cups of medium diced Red Onions and sauté them until softened. Next, add the prepared masala blend to the sautéed onions, scraping everything from the food processor into the pan. Mix well and continue to sauté until fragrant.

Step 4: Cook Tomatoes

Follow with 2 cups of chopped fresh Tomatoes. Add them to the pan, mix, cover, and cook for a couple of minutes until the tomatoes cook down and get nice and mushy. Once cooked, remove the mixture from the pan and keep it aside.

Step 5: Brown Chicken Pieces

Add a bit more oil to the same sauté pan. Add the 1 full Chicken (2-3 lbs), cut into pieces. Brown the chicken on both sides; the goal is to brown, not fully cook, the chicken.

Step 6: Combine Chicken with Masala and Season

Once the chicken is browned, add the cooked onion-masala-tomato mixture back into the pan with the chicken. Add Salt to taste and mix everything together thoroughly.

Step 7: Add Tamarind Water and Remaining Masala

Add the tamarind water (from a 2x2 inch piece of tamarind soaked in 2 cups of hot water) to the chicken curry. Also, add about 1/2 cup of water to the food processor to scrape off any remaining masala from underneath the blades and add it into the chicken curry.

Step 8: Cook Chicken Curry

Stir everything together, then cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes. Make sure to stir at intervals to prevent anything from getting burnt at the bottom.

Step 9: Add Potatoes and Finish Cooking

After about 20 minutes, check for salt again and add more if needed. Add 1 cup of diced raw Potatoes (cut into small cubes) to the curry. Stir, cover, and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.

Step 10: Thicken Gravy and Serve

At the end of the 5-7 minutes, uncover the pan and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so, allowing all of that gravy to thicken up to your desired consistency. Your Chicken Frithad is now ready to eat, best served with traditional Fugiyas (balloon bread).

• Adding the bone in the chicken gives the curry so much flavor.

• Make sure to stir the curry at intervals to prevent anything from burning at the bottom of the pan.

• Cook the gravy uncovered at the end to allow it to thicken to your desired consistency.