Chicken Curry with Black Cardamom

Last December when I was pregnant with Ayaan, I had invited few of my friends and their parents (who were visiting them) to dinner. I told aunty that I love chicken and she told me she will make something for me. She had only 1-2 weeks until she returned to India. She was very sweet to take out time in the busy schedule to cook and send a big batch of chicken curry.

If there is one spice that is commonly used in Indian cooking that I cannot stand, it is black cardamom. I have tried it in different ways and somehow I never liked the aroma of it. But that cardamom did something magical to this chicken curry. It reminded me the chicken curry that I used to love eating in restaurants back home. I won’t lie, I did not want to share it with V or Ishaan. Yes, I was very mean. Comeon, I was 7 months pregnant and someone had sent me something that I really loved. I must have given them just few spoons of curry and I pretty much finished everything else. Then I asked aunty for the recipe and she was very kind to share it with me.

I have tried this couple of times. I did not want to buy black cardamom for this one dish, so I prepared it without that few times. But it never came out like aunty’s. Then I bought a small pack of black cardamom and tried again and it made such a huge difference to the curry.

Pictorial:
Half cook the chicken in spices.

Heat oil and fry whole spices, ginger-garlic paste.
 
Add the powders, fry for few minutes. Add chicken and cook.
  

Chicken Curry with Black Cardamom

Flavorful chicken curry spiced with black cardamom and other whole spices.

4 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Servings 7 -8

Ingredients

  

• 1 kg Chicken
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup roughly chopped onion this will go into paste
• 1 cup of dry coconut
• 2 tbl spn poppy seeds khuskhus
• 1 tbl spn sesame seeds til
• 2 tbl spn ginger garlic paste
• A pinch turmeric
• 2 tbl spn coriander powder
• 1 tbl spn red chili powder
• 1 tbl spn spn garam masala
• 1/2 tea spn cardamom powder
• Salt

Whole spices :

• 2 " cinnamon
• 2-3 cloves
• 3-4 black cardamom masala velchi/moti elaichi
• 3-4 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

 

• Dry roast poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dry coconut, cool them and grind to powder.
• In a pan, heat oil and fry the roughly chopped onion till they are golden brown and grind to a paste.
• Heat oil and add finely chopped onion, 1 tbl spn ginger garlic paste.
• Fry till the onions are translucent.
• Add turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder, fry for a minute.
• Add the chicken, salt and cook till chicken is halfway cooked.
• In a separate pan, heat oil and add whole spices.
• Add remaining ginger-garlic paste, ground coconut, poppy seeds, sesame seed powders, onion paste, cardamom powder, garam masala.
• Fry for few minutes and then add the half cooked chicken.
• Add water to bring it to required consistancy. Adjust salt.
• Serve hot.