Healthyish, Recipes

Kanika’s White Chicken

Punctuate the chicken curry with this mildly spiced rich white chicken dish that works well with pasta, rice and any kind of flatbread. You can make it you’re own by substituting chicken with lamb or beef or mix vegetables like peas, cauliflower, carrots, capsicum, potato etc.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 Star Anise
  • 2 Cloves
  • 1 Big Eliche (Black Cardamom)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Saunf (Fennel Seeds)
  • 1 Big Onion
  • 1 Pinch Kasturi Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Coarsely Ground Pepper Powder
  • 2-3 Fresh Green Chillies (Can Substitute with Dry Red Chillies Also)
  • 2 Cups Thick Dahi (Yogurt)
  • 1/2 Cup Cooking Cream
  • 6-8 Teaspoons Ghee (Clarified Butter)
  • Chicken (Curry Cut with Bones, Boneless, Thigh Pieces Choice Is Yours)
  • 2 Tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste
  • Fresh Coriander or Mint for Garnish

Preparation

Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes

  1. Pre-Prep (steps 1 & 2)
  2. Marinate chicken in 1 cup yogurt, pepper powder, salt, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Set aside covered for minimum 1 hour or overnight.
  3. Finely chop your onions into slices and keep aside for later use.
  4. In a pan heat ghee and add bay leaf, cinnamon, big eliche, star anise, cloves, slit green chillies, saunf and stir for half a minute to infuse the flavours on med low heat.
  5. Now add the chopped onions and cook till they are pink in colour. Do not brown them.
  6. Now add 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste and cook till the rawness goes away. Also add the kasturi methi, coriander powder and mix well.
  7. Now add the marinated chicken and adjust the flame on medium low to avoid curdling of the yogurt. Don’t be alarmed though, the yogurt will slightly curdle and that’s normal.
  8. Mix well, cover and let it simmer on medium low heat. You will notice that a lot of water is being released. Do not panic, that’s natural. Yogurt leaves its water.
  9. Mix well and cook till your chicken is 90% cooked on medium low flame only. This can take a little time depending on your chicken cuts and size of pieces.
  10. Now add the cooking cream and mix well. The consistency of the gravy should be semi thick. Feel free to adjust the consistency according to your liking though. Check for salt seasoning as per taste. Cook till the chicken is thoroughly cooked. At no point the flame should be on high, keep in mind.
  11. Once your chicken is cooked, your dish is ready. Garnish with fresh mint or coriander & serve hot with chapatti, roti, paratha or naan.

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Kanika Dave

Born in Bombay to a beautiful Punjabi mother and a half-Gujarati-half-Mangalorean handsome father, I am a complete mix of both cultures by heart. My Nutritionist-dietician-weight trainer mother will always be my biggest food inspiration. Observing her since childhood and shadowing her every move in the kitchen, watching her chop, taking in the aromas and feeing the love with which she cooked has always been a treat. How she makes everyday simple food taste so delicious will always be a mystery to me. A special mention to my dear friend Oskari whom I met 11 years ago in Goa and fell in love instantly. He is European and came from a contrasting food background. Watching him move around swiftly in the kitchen has always been my favourite thing. I have been lucky to spend quality time with his mother Hanni who is a wonderful cook and runs one of the most beautiful resorts in Zanzibar. Through them, I learned a lot about world food.