Recipe: Balti Chicken (using tomatoes, onions, yogurt, cilantro and chiles)

BALTI CHICKEN

3 pounds chicken, cut in 8 pieces, skin removed*
3 tablespoons corn oil
3 medium onions, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, halved and sliced
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
2 large black cardamom pods
4 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ginger pulp
1 teaspoon garlic pulp
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
2 fresh green chilies, chopped

Wash and trim the chicken pieces, set aside.

Heat the oil in a large Kahari (similar to a wok). Throw in the onions and fry until they are golden brown. Add the tomatoes and stir well.

Add the cinnamon stick, cardamoms, peppercorns, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, garam masala, chilli powder and salt. Lower the heat and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces, 2 at a time, and stir fry for at least seven minutes or until the spice mixture has completely penetrated the chicken pieces. Add the yogurt and mix well. Lower the heat and cover the pan with a piece of foil, making sure that the foil does not touch the food. Cook very gently for about 15 minutes, checking once to make sure the food is not catching on the bottom of the pan.

Finally, add the lemon juice, cilantro and green chillies and serve at once.

*You may substitute 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into cubes if you like.

Source: The Balti Cookbook by Shehzad Husain