Serves 4-6 1 kg boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces 1 l vegetable oil Ginger puree 50g peeled and chopped ginger 1 tbsp water Garlic puree 50g peeled and chopped garlic 1 tbsp water Green chilli puree 1 tbsp water 50g green chillies Cashew nut paste 50g cashew nuts 4 tbsps water Garam masala 25g black cardamom pods 15g fennel seeds 25g coriander seeds 25g cumin seeds 25g black peppercorns 2 mace blades 5 bay leaves Half a nutmeg 1.5 tsps cloves 20g green cardamom pods 7 cinnamon sticks (2.5cm long) For the marinade Pinch of garam masala (see above) 1 tsp ginger puree (see above) 1 tsp garlic puree (see above) 1 tbsp green chilli puree (see above) Pinch of ground cumin 100g onions, roughly chopped 1 tbsp tamarind paste 200g fresh coriander leaves 50g fresh mint leaves Half tsp ground turmeric 2 tbsps cashew nut paste (see above) 3 tbsps water Fresh mint leaves to garnish Salt to taste Half tsp ground coriander
Start the preparation the night before or on the morning you are cooking to allow time for the marination of the chicken. Method for the purees: Put the relevant ingredient/s in a blender or food processor with 1 tbsp of water to process to a smooth puree. Method for cashew nut paste: Put cashew nuts into a blender or food processor with 4 tbsps of water and process to a fine paste. Method for garam masala: Dry roast all the spices except the nutmeg in a heavy based pan over medium heat for 10 minutes. Grind them in a spice grinder, grate in the nutmeg, and leave to cool. To complete: Put all the ingredients for the marinade (see ingredients list) in a blender and process to a smooth paste. Marinate the chicken in the paste for at least six hours. Then heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan, add the chicken and deep fry over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until tender and cooked through. Remove from pan, drain on kitchen paper, garnish with mint leaves and serve straightaway. To serve: Can be presented on a bed of fresh tamarind. Supplied by: Puneet Arora, executive chef, Noon Products