Capsicum Chicken | Kadai Chicken

Capsicum Chicken is a very flavourful dish. And given below is my way of preparing this lip smacking curry. 

Ingredients

4 chicken thigh fillets (cut into bite size pieces)

1 regular sized green capsicum (cut into small cubes)

2 cloves, 1 cardamom, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 star anise

4-6 small onions (thinly sliced)

1 tbs freshly grated ginger garlic

1 medium sized tomato ( puréed)

2 ts thick curd

1/4 ts turmeric powder, 1/2 ts chilli powder, 1 ts cumin powder, 2 ts coriander powder, 1 ts kuzhambu podi, 1/3 ts garam masala 

Lots of finely chopped coriander leaves

To grind to a smooth paste

3-4 cashews

1 ts white poppy seed

Preparation

- Clean and wash the chicken pieces in running water. Cut them into bite size pieces.

- Boil cashews and poppy seeds with little water. Then grind them to a very smooth paste. 

- Heat enough oil in a kadai. Temper hot oil with cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick.

- Add thinly sliced onions and fry until they change color and leave out all their moisture.

- Add ginger and garlic. Sauté for a while.

- Add the tomato purée and give a good mix. Also add all the masala powder mentioned above. Add necessary salt. Cook in low to medium flame until oil seperate from the tomato masala mixture.

- Lower flame and add the yoghurt. Mix well without any lumps. Continue cooking the mixture until all moisture leaves from the yoghurt and it has blended well with the masala.

- Now add the chicken pices with its needed salt. Add a cup of water. As you continue cooking, the chicken will also leave out its water. 

- Cover kadai with a lid and cook in medium to high flame for 10-15 minutes. Then cook uncovered in high flame for the next 10 -15 minutes until the curry thickens well.

- When the curry is 3/4 th done, add the cashew poppy seed paste.Mix well.

- Next add the cubed capsicum. Cook in low to medium flame for next 5-10 min until the curry looks dry and oil seperates out. Also capsicum shouldn't be overlooked. It should have its crunchiness. 

- Add coriander leaves and give a final mix