Chicken Shorba (Soupy Chicken Curry)
Blog: cookingwithnelo.com
Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 2 medium (200 g) tomatoes - cut into halves lengthwise (Note A)
- 1 medium (110 g) onion - peeled and cut into 4 quarters
- 6 cloves garlic - peeled
- 2 small whole green chilies - pull out the stems. I use Thai/Birds eye chilies
- ⅓ cup cooking oil - or ghee
- 2 whole black cardamoms - aka bari elaichi
- ½ inch piece of cinnamon stick - aka dalchini
- 6 whole black peppercorns - aka sabut kali mirch
- 2 cloves - aka laung
- 1 pound (500 g) chicken - skinless, bone-in, cut into pieces (Note B)
- 1 teaspoon salt - regular white/table salt, adjust to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder - aka haldi
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro - aka coriander/dhaniya
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - fresh
Instructions
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. You can use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
- Place tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves and green chilies in a pot. Add 1 cup water.
- Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium-high heat, or until the tomatoes are soft and their skins/peels loosen. Use tongs to remove and discard skins. If they resist or if a lot of pulp comes away with them, cook a few more minutes.
- Blend these veggies, along with all the liquid, into a smooth puree. Set aside.
- Heat oil/ghee in another pot over medium-high heat. Add black cardamoms, cinnamon, black peppercorns and cloves. Sauté 1 minute.
- Add chicken pieces, along with salt, turmeric, and red chili powder. Stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken changes color all over and is no longer pink.
- Add the prepared vegetable puree, mix well and cover the pot. When it starts to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook covered for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Then add ½ cup water (preferably hot), give a quick stir and cover again. Increase the heat, bring to a simmer, then turn it down to low, or just enough to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the oil starts to separate. Stir occasionally.
- Turn off the heat, mix in chopped cilantro (coriander) and lemon juice. Cover the pot again, and let the shorba rest for 5 minutes so the flavors meld together. Serve hot with rice, roti or naan. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.
Notes
Note A: Tomatoes – If you can't find good, ripe ones, add a tablespoon of tomato paste to boost the flavor. I use Roma tomatoes as they have the right level of acidity.
Note B: Chicken – I get bone-in chicken from my desi butcher and ask for karahi cut (16 and 20 pieces per chicken, depending on its weight). People usually use curry cut (12 to 14 pieces per chicken), but I prefer them smaller for faster cooking. Use chicken by weight. Guesstimating the number of pieces may give unpredictable results.