Chicken Handi

Chicken Handi

Who would have thought a bit of this and a bit of that would result is something so finger-lickin’ good. The base recipe belongs to Michelle Taylor. This isn’t the authentic recipe for ‘Chicken Handi’ but Michelle being Michelle, actually named it, ‘Throw everything in the bloody Handi Chicken’ :-) hence I have named it Chicken Handi. I have tweaked the quantity of certain ingredients to my liking but the base recipe belongs to Michelle. 

Michelle, thanks ever, ever so much for sharing this recipe <3

Ingredients:

1 kilo boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thick strips

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” rounds

4 cups onions, chopped very fine

4 medium tomatoes, cut into half and grate, discard skin

2 green chilies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

4 tablespoons or 50-60 grams cashew nuts, ground to a paste

4 teaspoons cumin powder/jeera powder

4 teaspoons coriander powder/dhania powder

3-4 teaspoons red Kashmiri chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves/kasoori methi, lightly roasted and crushed

1 cup fresh cream

Oil, enough to cover the bottom of the vessel (don’t be stingy coz it’s a richly flavored recipe)

Salt, to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large thick bottomed vessel. Add the onions and fry till golden brown.
2. Lower the heat and add the green chilies, ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute till fragrant.
3. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and sauté well.
4. Add the tomatoes and cashew paste and cook till oil separates and the tomatoes are devoid of the raw smell.
5. Add half a cup of water and cook the gravy some more till semi-dry and appears almost ‘paste-like’.
6. Add the chicken and potatoes. Stir well so as to ‘bhuno’/sauté the chicken and potatoes a wee bit.
7. Add water to cover the chicken and potatoes. Cover and cook till done.
8. Check seasoning (salt).
9. Just before serving add the crushed kasoori methi and pour the fresh cream and give the vessel a gentle whirl, tilting it around so that the cream mixes in or if give it a gentle mix with a spoon.
10. Simmer on very gentle heat for two minutes.
11. Serve with plain rice, pea/jeera pulao or bread naan. 

Chef Notes: 

1. It’s such an easy-peasy recipe that there really isn’t much to write as ‘chef note’s’ but I will say, as I always do, that you can adjust the red chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder depending on your tolerance of spice level.
2. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.