New Delhi Chicken Curry

Step 1: Prep Onions and Tomatoes

Finely dice the red onions and plum tomatoes. The video shows chopping them into small, uniform pieces. Set aside in separate bowls.

Step 2: Cut and Marinate Chicken

Cut the bone-in chicken thighs into smaller, manageable pieces. In a bowl, add ground turmeric to the chicken and mix thoroughly with your hands until all pieces are evenly coated. This gives the chicken a nice color and flavor.

Step 3: Heat Mustard Oil and Sear Chicken

Add 3 tablespoons of mustard oil to a pot and heat it until it starts to smoke, indicating it's hot enough and its pungent aroma has mellowed. Carefully add the turmeric-coated chicken pieces to the hot oil. Sear the chicken on one side until it gets some color, then flip it over to sear the other side. Once lightly seared, remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a wire rack, ensuring no small pieces are left in the pot to prevent burning.

Step 4: Add Whole Spices

In the same oil, add the whole spices: 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 2 black cardamom pods, 2 green cardamom pods, 5-6 black peppercorns, and 3-4 whole cloves. Sauté for a couple of minutes to release their aromas and flavors into the oil.

Step 5: Sauté Onions and Ginger-Garlic Paste

Add the diced red onions to the pot and a pinch of kosher salt. Sauté the onions until they become translucent and start to brown, and the oil begins to separate from them. Then, add 2 tablespoons of ginger and garlic paste and continue to sauté until the raw smell disappears and the mixture is fragrant.

Step 6: Incorporate Ground Spices and Tomatoes

Add 1 tablespoon of ground coriander, 1 teaspoon of red chile powder (adjust to desired spice level), and 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chile powder (for color). Sauté for a couple of minutes to toast the spices. Then, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and the diced plum tomatoes. Stir well. Add a touch of water to deglaze the pan if it's too hot, allowing the water to evaporate as the tomatoes cook down.

Step 7: Add Yogurt and Chicken

Reduce the heat to ensure the pot is not too hot. Add 1/2 cup of Dahi (Indian yogurt) to the mixture and stir continuously until it is fully incorporated and the sauce is silky smooth. Return the seared chicken pieces to the pot.

Step 8: Simmer the Curry

Add 1/2 cup of water to the pot, stir everything together, and cover with a lid. Let the chicken simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Step 9: Finish with Aromatics

After simmering, open the lid and check the curry. Crush 1 teaspoon of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) between your palms and add it to the curry. Stir in 1 teaspoon of garam masala. These spices are added at the end for their fresh aroma and flavor. Finally, stir in fresh cilantro.

Step 10: Serve

Ladle the chicken curry into a serving bowl. Serve with warm roti, raw red onion slices, and green Thai chiles on the side. Enjoy by ripping off a piece of roti, using it to grab a piece of chicken and a generous amount of gravy.

• Use bone-in chicken thighs for a more intense chicken flavor due to the bone marrow.

• Mustard oil has a pungent aroma and a higher smoke point than neutral oils; ensure it's heated until smoking to mellow its pungency.

• When adding yogurt, ensure the pot is not too hot to prevent the yogurt from breaking.

• Garam masala is best added at the end of cooking to preserve its fresh aroma and flavor.

• Curry recipes vary greatly by region, religion, and ingredients in India. This recipe is a family version from New Delhi.

• Southern Indian curries often use coconut milk, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and tamarind instead of yogurt and mustard oil.