Aloo Chicken Salan (Potato Chicken Curry)
Blog: cookingwithnelo.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 2 black cardamoms - aka bari elaichi
- 1 green cardamom - aka choti elaichi
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon - aka dalchini
- 3 cloves - aka laung
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds - aka sabut zeera
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder - aka lal mirch powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder - aka haldi
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoons kasuri methi - aka dried fenugreek leaves
- 1.75 teaspoons salt - white/table salt
Other Ingredients
- 3 medium (300 g) tomatoes - I prefer Roma tomatoes
- 1 small green chili - stem removed (see Note A)
- 10 cloves garlic - peeled
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) cooking oil - or ghee
- 1 medium (100 g) onion - thinly sliced
- 1 pound (500 g) bone-in chicken pieces - skinless (Note B)
- 1 pound (500 g) potatoes - peeled, cut into halves, quarters, or sixths, depending on size (Note C)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - or lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro - aka coriander/dhaniya
- 5 small whole green chilies - pull off the stems, don't cut
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together ingredients listed under "spice mix" and set aside.
- In a blender, put tomatoes, green chili, garlic cloves, and process until completely smooth. Don't add water. Set aside.
- Heat the oil or ghee in a pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute until it just starts to turn golden.
- Then add the prepared spice mix and stir 30 seconds. Pour in ½ cup of water (careful, the oil may splatter).
- Simmer until the water has cooked off. Stir in the pureed tomato mixture. Cook uncovered until it reduces to a thick, glistening, oily sauce. Adjust the heat as needed to keep a steady simmer. Stir occasionally early on, then more frequently as it thickens to prevent sticking.
- Next, turn up the heat to medium-high and add chicken pieces. Stir until it's no longer pink on the outside.
- Add the potato pieces along with 1.5 cups water. Stir to combine. Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat just enough to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are nice and soft. Pierce a potato piece with fork or knife to check for doneness.
- Add lemon juice, chopped cilantro (aka coriander), and whole green chilies. Mix well, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes on very low heat. Serve hot with naan, roti, or steamed basmati rice.
Notes
Note A: Green Chilies – Fresh chilies can vary a lot in heat, depending on their kind, so adjust the amount as you see fit. I use green Thai/birds eye chilies.
Note B: Chicken – Boneless chicken works, but I prefer bone-in for the brothy flavor it adds.
Note C: Potatoes – Avoid russet potatoes. They can turn to mush and make the dish starchy. Yellow potatoes are fine too, but red ones hold up better.