Spice Paste:
8 Dried red chillies; broken
- into halves
3 tb Coriander seeds
1 1/2 ts Fennel seeds
1 1/2 ts Black peppercorns
1 1/2 ts Poppy seeds
5 cl Garlic; peeled and
- roughly chopped
1 Fresh ginger piece (1-1/2");
- peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 ts Ground turmeric
1 1/2 ts Salt
Lentils And Chicken:
5 tb Oil
3 Bay leaves
5 Cardamom pods
1 Cinnamon stick (1"); broken
1 ts Fennel seeds
3 Cloves
1 1/2 ts Dried yellow lentils
2 md Onions; peeled, chopped
1 lg Tomato; chopped
1 kg Chicken pieces
Make The Spice Paste:
Heat 1 tb of the oil over medium high heat in a small frying pan,
when hot, add the chillies, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black
peppercorns, and poppy seeds. Fry briefly until roasted. Put them
in the spice grinder and grind to a powder. Empty the lot into a
blender, ad the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt to the blender,
along with 6 to 8 tb water. Blend until you have a smooth paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
When hot, add the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, fennel
seeds, cloves, and lentils. Stir and fry briefly until the lentils
turn reddish. Add the onions and fry until they are soft. Add the
spice paste, fry for about 5 minutes, adding water if necessary t
stop it sticking. Add the tomato, fry some more
Add the chicken and make sure it is well mixed in. Add about
2 cups of water--enough to cover. Bring to the boil, then simmer on
low until chicken is cooked, 20 minutes. Get the chicken out with a
slotted spoon, then reduce the sauce until it's very thick, by
boiling it for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back in, stir for
a minute or two, then serve on boiled rice.
