Kashmiri Chicken

Another Indian dish from Greta - this dish is really easy, doesn't have a lot of ingredients and you could really use any kind of meat in it and it would turn out to be delicious! I found this in the same cookbook that has Kheer or rice pudding (see post from 01/13/10) in it, Complete Indian Cooking - thank you Lydia!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil3 large onions, finely sliced
10 peppercorns
10 cardamom pods
2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
3 pounds chicken pieces, skinned
1 cup plain yogurt
salt (to taste)

• Heat the oil in a deep, lidded pot. Add the onions, peppercorns, cardamoms, and cinnamon and cook until the onions are golden. Add the ginger, garlic, chili powder, paprika, and salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the chicken pieces and fry until browned.
  

• Gradually add the yogurt , stirring constantly. Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes.

Serves 6

Notes:
I used chicken breasts and cut them up into bite sized pieces. I also allowed this to cook all day (with the exception of adding the yogurt - I did that toward the end). I also added about 1/2 cup of water to the dish, since I was letting it simmer for about 4 hours. When I served this dish, the chicken melted in your mouth; everything was tender and spiced well. I served this dish with steamed broccoli and basmati rice that was cooked with raisins and toasted almonds.

The family loved this meal! My mother said that this was her favorite Indian dish to date. She really enjoyed the spices (it was seasoned and not hot) and the way the chicken melted in her mouth. The family has already asked me to cook this one again and since it is so easy and yummy, I will be happy to comply!