Pepper Chicken

We had our first snowfall yesterday. In fact we woke up to this scene outside our windows. First snow fall of the year is always special, especially for the kids. They eagerly look forward to making snowballs and snowmen coupled with sleighing downhill. Last year we barely had any, so they missed out on all of the above. Since this is our last European winter, I too have been kind of silently wishing that they are not disappointed and that the snow gods will send us some big white fluffy flakes soon.

With the snow, it also means that the temperatures keeps plunging low into the negative. What better way than to keep ourself warm with a hot spicy gravy for lunch. This was where the pepper chicken came to our rescue. Soft tender pieces of chicken gently stewed with spices and relished with whole wheat bread. Yum, yum, yum!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo chicken, cleaned and cut into small pieces
• 4 large onions chopped
• 4 medium tomatoes chopped
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 large green chilli finely chopped
• 4 cardamoms
• 6 cloves
• 4 " cinnamon stick
• 3 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 tbsp ghee
• salt to taste

(not the best pic, thanks to the snowfall and hardly any light)

Method:

1. In a thick bottomed vessel, heat the ghee. When hot add the mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, drop in the whole spices and curry leaves. Stir for 10 seconds.
2. Add the chopped onions, green chilli, ginger garlic paste and fry well till the onions are slightly brown.
3. Add the tomatoes and fry well till the onion and tomatoes are all mushy and formed into a rough paste(10 to 15 minutes).
4. Add the powders : coriander, cumin, pepper and turmeric and fry well for another 5 minutes.
5. Drop in the chicken pieces, stir carefully to coat all of them with the onion tomato masala. Fry it on high heat for 5 minutes. Take care not to burn.
6. Lower the heat and cook covered for 15 minutes or till chicken is tender. Do not add any water as the juices from the chicken will be released. If you feel the gravy is dry and burning then add a quarter cup of water. If you would like it dry, then skip the water but take care to see that the dish does not burn.
7. Serve hot with whole wheat bread and a side serving of salad of your choice.

Note: 

• I didn't add any water at all. The gravy is the chicken broth on its own.
• This preparation is on the spicier side.