Restaurant Style Chicken Gravy Recipe

Step 1: Roast Dry Spices

In a pan, dry roast 7 dry red chilli peppers, 12 cashew nuts, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 15-20 peppercorns, 2 brown cardamom, and 6-7 cloves, and 1 cinnamon stick until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 2: Grind Spices and Tomatoes

Transfer the roasted dry spices to a blender. Add 4 peeled and chopped tomatoes to the blender. Grind everything to a smooth paste.

Step 3: Sauté Onions

Heat approximately 1/2 cup (120ml) of oil in a wok or large pan. Add 2 chopped onions and cook on medium heat until they turn golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 4: Add Ginger-Garlic Paste and Powdered Spices

Add 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste to the sautéed onions and cook for 1 minute. Then, add 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1/2 tbsp paprika powder, and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Cook these spices for 1 minute.

Step 5: Add Chicken and Cook

Add a little bit of water to the spices and mix. Then, add 800g chicken pieces to the pan. Cook the chicken on medium heat for 6 minutes until its color changes.

Step 6: Incorporate Ground Paste and Simmer

Add the ground spice and tomato paste to the chicken. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally. Add a little bit of water (from the blender used for grinding) to rinse out any remaining paste and add to the pan. Cover with a lid and continue cooking on high heat, checking periodically, until the oil separates from the spices, which should take about 20 minutes.

Step 7: Adjust Gravy Consistency

Add water to the gravy according to your desired consistency. Stir well.

Step 8: Final Seasoning and Simmer

Cover the pan and cook on medium heat. After some time, add 1 tbsp garam masala powder and 1 tbsp dried fenugreek (Kasoori Methi). Stir to combine. Cover again and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

Step 9: Garnish and Serve

Garnish the chicken gravy with freshly chopped coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve hot with naan, roti, or rice.

• Adding powdered spices before tomatoes helps achieve a nice red color in the gravy.