Chicken masala is one of the famous Indian dishes. It is highly appreciated for its rich taste and aromatic spices. As a rule, this yummy dish is made of tender bits of chicken fried in a crispy masala combination of spices and herbs in perfect harmony. The Chicken Masala recipe combines marinated chicken cooked in a rich, spiced gravy made from onions, tomatoes, and various spices, creating a flavourful dish that pairs perfectly with rice or naan. This foundation of onions, tomatoes, and garlic, fried until aromatic, makes up the base of chicken masala. Before its preparation, the chicken is marinated in a mixture of spice and yoghurt to tenderise the meat and imbue it with a good amount of flavour. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and red chilli powder are commonly used in chicken masala, enhancing the unique taste and aroma. Masala is simmered to allow spices to meld, creating a luscious, thick sauce that clings to the chicken. This Chicken masala recipe is rich and aromatic. It adapts to the tolerance level of whoever has it reasonably well for the faint of heart or hot as needed for those who live on fire. It's over steamed rice, naan, or roti, so you can use much of the juice if desired. Garnished with fresh cilantro or a squeeze of lemon, it's a great finisher.

• 500 gms chicken
• 4 tbsp oil
• Bay leaf
• 4 clove
• Cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom
• 2 onion
• Ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• Salt
• 2 tomato
• Fresh coriander

• Start by cleaning 500 gms of the chicken properly. Excess fat and skin have to be removed from it. They need to be very clean by being passed through cold running water for cleaning. Pat on some paper towels so that excess moisture is removed.
• Cut the chicken into pieces of uniform size. This ensures that the chicken is cooked evenly.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottom pan or kadhai on medium flame. Use any vegetable oil, mustard oil, or ghee for more decadent flavours.
• Heat the oil. Add one tej patta or bay leaf, four whole cloves, a 2-inch cinnamon stick, and four green cardamoms. Let them get saut ed for about 30 seconds. This whole spice process aromatises the oil and becomes a basis for that aroma in the dish.
• Put 2 finely chopped onions in the pan. Toss well so that the onions coat themselves in oil and spices.
• Toss occasionally and saut the onions for about 8-10 minutes. They should turn a deep brown colour. That caramelising does add a little bit of sweetness and depth to the masala, so don't hurry over this step.
• 1 Tbsp of ginger-garlic paste should be added to the pan.
• Saut for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, till the raw smell of the ginger and garlic disappears. This step enhances the flavour base of your chicken masala.
• Stir well to mix the spice with the onion mixture. Fry the masala for about 2-3 minutes, allowing it to cook so that the oil separates from the mixture. This shall be an indication that the spices are cooked and would now infuse their flavours into the chicken.
• Add two finely chopped tomatoes to the pan. Toss them in with the masala.
• Cook the tomatoes down for about 5-7 minutes, sometimes stirring. You want to break those down and merge them into a thick sauce full of flavours. The tomatoes give that sort of acidity and sweetness that will cut through some of these spices well.
• Add the pieces of cleaned chicken to the pan. Stir very well so that the chicken is coated with masala.
• Bump the heat up high. Cook the chicken for roughly 5 minutes. Stir it occasionally so that the chicken gets a nice sear and flavour from the masala.
• Once you have heated the heat to an extreme for roughly 5 minutes, lower the heat to a low level. Put a lid on the pan so that the steam that will build inside will cook out your chicken well.
• Let it cook for nearly 20 minutes while gently stirring your chicken. This way, the chicken softens and immerses all the spices.
• After 20 minutes, if the gravy does not have the right consistency for you, it should be too thick, then you need to add nearly half a cup of water to your preference.
• You have to stir it well so the water mixes nicely with the gravy. Garnish with freshly cut coriander leaves for a appetizing burst of flavour and colour.
• Chicken Masala goes well with hot steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, naan, or roti-it tastes best hot. The gravy goes well with the accompaniments; hence, this is a filling meal.