Chicken Handi

Chicken handi is a very famous dish. Handi means a clay pot and traditionally chicken was cooked in that. Its creamy gravy keeps the tender morsels of chicken succulent and juicy. We love to eat it with naans but it is equally delicious with plain steamed rice. Its a quick cooking dish made with boneless chicken breast. I have used chicken with bones but by all means you can replace it with boneless chicken meat. Here is how the recipes goes:

Ingredients

Chicken                       2 lbs
Onion                          1 medium
Tomatoes                     2 medium
Ginger                          2 inch pieces cut in julienne
Ghee                            4 tbsp
Salt                               to taste
Paprika                        1 tsp
Sugar                           1/2 tbsp
Dried fenugreek            1 tbsp rubbed
Red chili powder           1/2 tsp
Cream 10 %                 1 1/2 -2 cups

Method

1. Peel the onion and chop roughly. Peel the tomatoes and chop. Put onion and tomatoes in a pot and add one cup of water. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Cook till onion and tomatoes have tenderized. Evaporate as much moisture as possible and blend together into a fine paste.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and add chicken. Sprinkle salt and fry till it changes colour, you don't need to brown it. Adjust the temp to avoid steam gathering into the pot and chicken ending into soup.
3. Add a couple of table spoons of onion/tomato paste and fry till no moisture is left. Add half of the ginger, fenugreek leaves, red chili powder and paprika.
4. Repeat step 3 until all the paste and ginger is been used.
5. Add sugar and cream. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to minimum and cover till chicken is completely cooked. Taste for salt. Add some water or cream to adjust the desired consistency of the gravy.
6. Serve hot with rice or naan.