White Chicken Curry

Name: White Chicken Curry
Ingredients: 500 gm. good quality chicken pieces; 3-4 tbsp. oil (ghee may give better taste but has higher cholesterol); A large pinch (about 1/8th tsp.) asafoetida powder or Hing; 1 medium sized white onion, peeled and ground or grated or finely chopped; 1 inch piece ! full tsp chopped/grated) of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed/grated; 1 cup thick yoghurt (not skimmed milk yoghurt); 1 1/2 tsp. salt, adjust to taste; 1/2 tsp. white pepper. You can use yellow chilli powder if you can find it; 7-8 blanched almonds. You can use 2 tbsp. almond powder instead; 2 tsp. poppy seeds, soaked in a cup of warm milk for 30 minutes or so; 3 inch piece of coconut cream from a coconut block or 3 tablespoons of cream of coconut powder. It is sold in blocks or powder or liquid form, any of which will do.; p; 1-2 tbsp. rose water or a few drops of rose essence (optional); 1 tsp. cardamom (green, small ones) seed powder; 1 tsp. <a href=\"recipe_display.php?id=1\">Garam Masala</a> (Optional); 1 tbs. green coriander leaves, chopped (optional)

Safed Murg

Mamta Gupta

IndianMain

In this easy recipe, the chicken is cooked without the usual red/yellow colouring of an average Indian curry. No colouring agents like turmeric, paprika, tomatoes etcetera are used. The word Safed means white. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

500 gm. good quality chicken pieces
3-4 tbsp. oil (ghee may give better taste but has higher cholesterol)
A large pinch (about 1/8th tsp.) asafoetida powder or Hing
1 medium sized white onion, peeled and ground or grated or finely chopped
1 inch piece ! full tsp chopped/grated) of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed/grated
1 cup thick yoghurt (not skimmed milk yoghurt)
1 1/2 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
1/2 tsp. white pepper. You can use yellow chilli powder if you can find it
7-8 blanched almonds. You can use 2 tbsp. almond powder instead
2 tsp. poppy seeds, soaked in a cup of warm milk for 30 minutes or so
3 inch piece of coconut cream from a coconut block or 3 tablespoons of cream of coconut powder. It is sold in blocks or powder or liquid form, any of which will do.
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1-2 tbsp. rose water or a few drops of rose essence (optional)
1 tsp. cardamom (green, small ones) seed powder
1 tsp. Garam Masala (Optional)
1 tbs. green coriander leaves, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Heat oil in a pan and add asafoetida powder.
Add and fry chicken on high, until just beginning to turn brown. Remove and keep aside.
Meanwhile, make a paste of onion, ginger and garlic.
In the remaining oil from frying the chicken, saut? the onion paste, until light brown.
Add chicken, yoghurt, salt, pepper or yellow chilli powder to the frying onions and bring to boil on high heat.
Simmer until chicken is cooked.
Meanwhile, grind almonds and poppy seeds together with milk.
Add to the simmering chicken, along with coconut, and cardamom powder. Stir them in.
Keep heat down and simmer until the chicken is cooked and the gravy is thickened to a desired consistency.
Stir in double cream and rose water.
Simmer for a few more minutes for the flavours to infuse.
You can also add a teaspoon of Garam Masala at this stage and you can garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with hot Chapatties or Tandoori Roties or Nans and Plain Pulao Rice.

Notes

Yoghurt should be full cream and at room temperature. Otherwise, it may curdle during cooking. Curdled yoghurt may looks odd but still tastes pretty good.