Cardamon chicken curry

This Northern Indian dish blends cardamon and cinnamon to delicious effect and makes a very thick sauce, perfect for scooping up with hunks of warm naan bread. Serve with a vegetable dish or two for a perfect better-than-take-away meal.

Traditionally this sort of dish would be made with diced chicken, but I prefer the extra flavour of meat cooked on the bone. If you want to use diced chicken, reduce the cooking time and the amount of water added by half.

Recipe

No pictures of this dish, unfortunately, as although it tastes terrific, it's hardly a looker.

2 tsp oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
Chicken thighs, skinned
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
4-5 black cardamon pods
1 tsp chilli paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan, and saute the onion until well-browned (about 5 minutes). Add the ginger and garlic and cook one minute more, then push the onions to one side of the pan and add the chicken pieces. Brown several minutes on each side, then add the rest of the ingredients, and 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked, adding a bit more water if the pan gets too dry.

Serve with naan or rice.

Serves: 2-3
Preparation and cooking time: 35-40 minutes