Chicken curry recipe - How to make Indian chicken curry without coconut

Ingredients 

• ½ kg chicken
• 2 to 3 tbsp. Oil
• 1 small bay leaf / tej patta
• 4 cloves / laung
• 2 inch thin cinnamon stick / dalchini
• 3 green cardamom / elaichi
• ½ tsp. cumin/jeera or shahi jeera (optional)
• 2 green chilies slit
• 1 cup finely chopped onions or grated or paste (3 medium onions)
• 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
• ½ cup finely chopped ripe tomatoes or puree (deseeded)(2 medium tomatoes)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder / haldi
• salt as needed
• ¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust as needed)
• 1½ tsp. garam masala powder (adjust to suit your taste)
• Fistful of chopped coriander leaves or mint/pudina
• ½ to 1 cup hot water

For taste (optional)

• 2 tbsp. yogurt/Curd or 10 cashews or 3 tbsp poppy seeds (ground to smooth paste)

How to make the recipe

Preparation

1. Wash chicken thoroughly and drain off the water completely.
2. Chop onions and tomatoes finely. Make ginger garlic paste.

Making chicken curry

1. Heat oil in a deep pan, add all the dry spices and fry till you get an aroma, just for a min.
2. Add onions, chilies and fry evenly till golden. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.
3. Add mashed tomatoes or puree, turmeric and salt. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes turn soft.
4. Add curd or cashew paste and red chili powder. On a low heat cook until the mixture smells good and the raw smell goes away.
5. Add chicken, garam masala and coriander or mint leaves. Fry till the meat turns white .Takes around 3 mins.
6. Cover and cook on a low flame for 3 to 5 mins. In a separate pot, heat up 1 cup water. Sometimes chicken lets out lot of moisture. Pour hot water just enough to make a thick gravy. Do not add too much water, curry will become runny. Cover and cook on a medium flame till it is cooked soft. Check and adjust the salt
7. Add coriander leaves, cover and off the heat.
8. Serve chicken gravy with rice, chapathi or jeera rice, ghee rice or pulao.