Garam Masala Murghi (Garam Masala Chicken)

I've been making a conscious effort to eat less meat, but there was a really good sale on just before Christmas, so I grabbed a few chicken thighs to stick in the freezer for later. There are a lot of good chicken curry recipes in Iyer's book. I picked this one because it looked pleasantly easy and is written specifically for skinless, boneless chicken thighs.

I'm pretty happy with how this came out. The sauce has a mild warmth to it and the cream gives it a lovely richness. The Kidlet has declared it a favourite and TF and I really liked as well!

Garam masala murghi (left), pictured with makkai nu shaak (bottom), vengayam mendium kozhumbu (upper right), and kala elaichi pulao (centre).

Garam Masala murghi

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1/2 tsp. cloves (whole)
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (3") cinnamon sticks
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 c. diced tomato (fresh or canned)
• 2 tsp. Punjabi Garam Masala
• 675g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1/2 c. chicken broth or 1/2 c. water + 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add cloves, cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks and cook for 15-30 seconds.
3. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and garam masala and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add chicken and broth (or water and salt) and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through (10-15 minutes).
7. Stir in cream and cook for another 2-4 minutes.
8. Sprinkle in cilantro and serve. (Remove the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and cardamom pods before serving if you wish.)