CHICKEN KURMA IN ANDHRA STYLE

Chicken kurma is famous chicken gravy which is a very good combination for steamed rice or roti and even with any pulao or biriyani. I remember that when I was a kid there is no broiler chicken, so my grand father use to buy chicken s from the farmers market (santha) and my mom use to start process for making this chicken gravy from the morning. Those day s no gas and no blenders to grind masalas so she use to cook on fire wood stove ( kattela poyyi).And this curry is specially made for Sunday lunch with dosa s or vada(Garelu) yeh some times with chapatti or rice also. And here I am with that traditional amma s chicken Kurma recipe………..

INGREDIENTS:----
Chicken --- 1 kg
Onion --- 2 large
Green chilies --- 5
Tomato – 4 no.
Oil --- 3 tab sp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Red chili powder --- 1 tea sp
A few curry leaves
For paste: ----
Grated fresh coconut – 1/2 cup
Fresh ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic cloves – 7no.
Cinnamon --- 1 inch pieces 2 no.
Cloves --- 6
Cardamom – 2
Poppy seeds – 1 tab sp
Coriander powder – 1 tea sp
Cashew nuts – 12 no
METHOD:---
1. Soak cashew nuts and poppy seeds in warm water for 10 min. then grind with all above ingredients with little water in to a smooth paste and keep a side.
2. Grate or chop finely onion and cut green chilies in to small pieces.
3. Chop tomatoes in to very small pieces.
4. Cut the chicken in to medium size pieces and wash well and leave a side.
5. Now heat oil in a pan add chopped onion and green chilies and fry till onion become soft then add chopped tomatoes,curry leaves and cook till tomato become soft. Then add chicken pieces, turmeric powder, and red chili powder, salt to taste mix well and leave to cook in a very low flame and cook for 15 min. (no need to add water let it cook in it's own juices)
6. Then add ground paste and 1 cup water mix well and cook till chicken became tender this will take another 15 to 20 min. to cook, mix in between and cook in a high flame till gravy becomes thick.
7. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.