Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1 chicken Whole chicken, cut into pieces (Use a tender chicken.)
• 2 cups Thick yogurt (curd) (Originally '1 sher' (approx 1 lb).)
• 3 large Onions (Originally '1 sher' (approx 1 lb). Finely chopped.)
• 1 cup Ghee (Originally '0.5 sher' (approx 0.5 lb).)
• 1/2 cup Almonds (Originally '1 navtank' (approx 2 oz). Peeled.)
• 1/2 cup Poppy seeds (khaskhas) (Originally '1 navtank' (approx 2 oz). Can substitute with white sesame seeds.)
• 2 tablespoons Roasted split gram (dalia) (Originally '2 tola'.)
• 1 tablespoon Salt (Or to taste. Originally '2 tola'.)
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Originally '0.5 tola' turmeric knots.)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Originally '0.5 tola'.)
• 5 whole Dried red chilies (Goa or Kashmiri) (Adjust for heat preference.)
• 2 teaspoons Coriander seeds (Crushed and husked.)
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Flat teaspoon.)
• 15 whole Green cardamom pods
• 12 whole Cloves
• 12 seeds Fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 10 whole Black peppercorns
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1/2 whole Nutmeg
• 1 whole Large ripe coconut (Grated.)
• 3 lemons Lemon juice (Optional, for sourness.)

Instructions

1. 1Clean, cut, and wash the chicken. Place it in a pot with enough water to cover and the salt. Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender and the liquid has reduced to about 1 cup (1 pasher) of stock. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. 2Wipe the dried chilies clean and roast them on a clay plate or skillet. Roast the coriander seeds as well. Peel the almonds. Grate the coconut and divide it into four parts. Take three parts of the grated coconut, grind it, add 1 cup of warm water, squeeze thoroughly, and extract the coconut milk into a vessel. Set this milk aside.
3. 3Take the remaining one part of grated coconut and grind it very finely into a smooth paste along with all the spices: roasted chilies, coriander, almonds, poppy seeds, roasted gram, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, cardamom, cloves, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. 4Peel and finely chop the onions. In a tinned pot (or heavy-bottomed pan), heat the ghee and fry the onions until they turn a golden almond color. Add the ground masala paste to the onions and fry over low heat (embers) until the mixture turns a pale red color.
5. 5Add the extracted coconut milk to the pot. Whisk the yogurt (curd) well with a wooden spoon until smooth and add it to the mixture. Pour in the reserved chicken stock. Stir everything well to combine. Finally, gently add the cooked chicken pieces, being careful not to break them. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered on low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking at the bottom. Cook until the ghee separates from the curry.
6. 6If a sour taste is desired, stir in the juice of three lemons at the end. If a spicier curry is preferred, increase the number of chilies used initially. If the curry is too thick, add a little more chicken stock or water to reach the desired consistency. Serve hot.