Indian dishes are notoriously difficult to cook, not just because of the countless ingredients that go into it, but also because it is often such a long process that by the time it’s ready you might have ordered a pizza and had it.

It’s a crazy affair, with spices and powders that make you sneeze and your clothes smell. But since India is a pretty old country and since we’ve been making curry for quite a while now, a certain form of method to the madness does exist. And today my mission is to decipher this method and explain how a chicken curry can be made without too much hassle.

There are two main steps to this recipe, the first is marination, the second, the actual cooking.

First, the ingredients you need for marinade:

Chicken – 1 Kilogram, cut into small pieces Chilli powder – I use one and a half teaspoon, but this could be a bit too spicy for you. Use – I use one and a half teaspoon, but this could be a bit too spicy for you. Use Kashmiri Chilli Powder for a less spicy effect. Coriander/Cilantro Powder – 2 teaspoons. Buy – 2 teaspoons. Buy organic coriander powder Pepper powder – half teaspoon Garam masala – 2 teaspoons. For this you need to find an Indian store, either a brick and mortar one near wherever you live, or some online store. – 2 teaspoons. For this you need to find an Indian store, either a brick and mortar one near wherever you live, or some online store. Or buy it from Amazon: Everest Garam Masala Turmeric powder – half teaspoon. On a side note, this spice is supposed to have several health benefits, but go easy on it or you’ll end up with a very yellow curry. Doing the dishes afterwards wouldn’t be easy either. Ginger garlic paste – If you can buy this at a store, awesome, use three teaspoons. If you can’t get it readymade, get three teaspoons of ginger and garlic and crush them together. – If you can buy this at a store, awesome, use three teaspoons. If you can’t get it readymade, get three teaspoons of ginger and garlic and crush them together. It’s available at Amazon too: Shan – Ginger Garlic Paste Salt – Be careful here. Salt is extremely essential to a curry because the spices taste horrible without it, but if you add too much, the dish is only worth throwing away. I usually add 3/4th of a table spoon.

Next, ingredients for the cooking part:

Onions: This is very important. I’d suggest using two, but if you can’t stand it, cut down to one. Slice them, don’t dice them for Pete’s sake, this is not a Chinese dish. Ginger: Get a tablespoon of it, pealed and chopped fine. Garlic: A tablespoon, chopped fine. Chilli: This could be green or red, depending on how spicy you want the curry to be. Get three, don’t chop, just slit them. Curry leaves: Some of you may not have this, others may not even know of it. If you do have access to it, get a sprig, else just forget about it.

Cooking Method:

Marinate the chicken with the ingredients in the marinade section. Use a spoon or hand to spread all the ingredients on the chicken. Keep this aside for half an hour. Some people suggest you keep it in the fridge for an hour or so, but personally I prefer to keep it outside. Heat a pan, add some oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, ginger, garlic, chilli and curry leaves (if available). Sauté. Once the onions lose their colour and start to become yellowish, add the chicken. Stir the chicken so that it doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan. Keep the heat high, else the chicken will become watery and that kinda ruins the taste. It won’t be too long before the meat is cooked, may be about 10 to 15 mins. Use a spatula and poke the chicken to see if its cooked. If the spatula cuts through the chicken easily, the time is just about right for you to switch the stove off and try tasting the curry.

Note: The most important thing to remember is, don’t worry too much about sticking to these rules. Even if you add a bit too much or too less of a spice, don’t worry about it. When you taste it in the end, if you feel it needs something, just add it and stir it well.

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