Gurkha Chicken Curry

• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp ginger, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 150g Greek yoghurt
• 8 pieces of chicken, thigh and drumsticks skinned 
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 cloves
• 7cm stick of cassia bark 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp mace, ground
• ¼-1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped

Method

1. Toast the cardamom pods with the fennel seeds until fragrant. Remove from the pan and let them cool.  Crush with a pestle and mortar and remove the husk.
2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pestle and mortar and bash the to make a paste.
3. Put the yoghurt into a large bowl and add the spice paste with the salt and stir to combine everything.
4. Add the chicken and coat it all over, leave it to mariante for at least 2 hours.
5. When you are ready to cook heat the oil in a large oven-proof pan.
6. Remove the chicken and scrape off the excess marinade back into the bowl, reserve this for later.
7. Add the chicken to the pan and fry for 5 minutes on one side until brown, then turn it over and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
8. Remove the chicken from the pan and set to one side.
9. Add a little more oil and add the cumin seeds, cloves, bay and cassia bark to the pan. When the spices are fragrant add the onions and saute for about 10 minutes until they turn golden brown.
10. Add the turmeric, mace and chilli powder and cook for a further 1 minute.
11. Add water (approx 250ml) to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes until it’s reduced.
12. Mix the chopped tomatoes in with the remaining marinade and add it all to the pan.
13. Stir and then add the chicken back to the pan. Simmer on a low heat for 40 minutes or place in the oven at 180ºC for the same amount of time. 

Served with

Goes with any side dish, rice, naan, parantha, pilau...