Chicken Bhuna

Ingredients for  4  Servings

• For the Marinade

• 6

  Garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2½ cm

  Piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 tsp

  Mild chilli powder
• ½ tsp

  Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp

  Ground cumin
• 1 tbsp

  Ground coriander
• 2 tbsp

  Greek-style yoghurt
• 750g

  Chicken thighs, boneless and skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
• For the Bhuna

• 100g

  Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp

  Tomato purée
• 4 tbsp

  Vegetable oil
• 3

  Dried mild red chillies, left whole
• 300g

  Brown onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp

  Fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
• ½ tsp

  Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp

  Garam masala
• -

  Salt
• -

  Chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

Approximate Times

• Preparation :

  1 to 2 hours
• Cooking :

  30 minutes to 1 hour

Method

1. To make the marinade, blend the garlic, ginger and a splash of water to a smooth paste in a food processor or blender. Put in a large bowl with the remaining marinade ingredients, except the chicken, and mix to combine. Add the chicken to the bowl and mix well. Leave to marinate for 1 hour, or overnight preferably.
2. To make the bhuna, blend the tomatoes and tomato purée to a smooth paste in a food processor or blender, then set aside. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai or large lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chillies, fry for a few seconds then add the onions. Stir well and fry gently for 25 minutes, until browned and softened. Keep stirring often to make sure they cook evenly.
3. Add the blended tomato paste, stir and fry for 5 minutes. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 6 minutes, stirring so the chicken is well coated in the masala. Season with salt, lower the heat and continue cooking with a lid on for 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, stirring halfway through. Add the fennel, pepper and garam masala and stir. Garnish with coriander and cook for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately.