Ginger Chicken Curry / Murgh Adraki

It just seems quite plausible that since there is a garlic chicken curry...there will also be a  ginger chicken curry. Ginger chicken curry comes with a fresh fragrance of ginger and is so light is texture and flavour. The recipe is more or less same but the addition of thin julienned ginger comes as the magic spell of the fairy godmother and uplifts that age old curry to a completely new one. Its not the old wine in a new bottle...while we can all agree that old vintage wines taste the best...but for this we can say that this is the old wine with a new twist in a new bottle. 
Apart from flavouring the curries, ginger is beneficial for health in many ways and if taken regularly it can help in reducing the pain from some common chronic health problems. I have found an article describing 13 health benefits of ginger from the blog HealthFitnessShop, and its quite helpful. Take  look an the article here.

Step By Step Process:

Heat the oil and temper with the whole spices. As the oil gets aromatic add the chopped onions and the garlic paste.

Cook the onions until lightly golden and then add the chicken pieces.Add the salt and the ginger paste. Cook the chicken until they change their colour.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become completely mushy.

Add the powdered spices, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, white and black pepper powder and ground cumin and coriander powder. Mix them well. Close the lid and cook until moisture evaporates.

Add the whisked curd and mix everything properly. Cook until the chicken is tender.

Add the garam masala powder, hulienned ginger, chopped coriander leaves and slit green chilies.

Mix everything and switch off the flame.

Ginger Chicken Curry / Murgh Adraki

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken on bone

1 large onion – finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic

Lots of ginger – around 2-3 pieces of thumb size pieces

1 tomato – chopped

½ cup thick yogurt – whisked

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 and ½ tsp ground cumin seeds

1 and ½ tsp ground coriander seeds

¼ tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp crushed black peppercorns

½ tsp crushed white peppercorns

2-3 green chillies – slit

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

1 medium cinnamon stick

1 black cardamom

7-8 whole black peppercorns

2-3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp cumin seeds 

Salt

½ cup oil + ghee

Method:

Make paste of half of the ginger while cut the rest of the ginger into juliennes.

Heat the oil and temper it with cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, black peppercorns, green cardamoms, bay leaf and cloves.

Saute for some seconds or until the oil becomes aromatic and then add the chopped onions and the garlic paste to them.

Sprinkle some salt over them and cook the onions until lightly golden brown.

Add the chicken pieces and throw in 1 and ½ tbsp of the ginger paste.

Sprinkle some salt and cook until the chicken pieces change their colour.

Add the tomatoes now and mix them with the rest of the ingredients.

Cook until the tomatoes disintegrate and then add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and ground cumin and coriander powder.

Stir to mix everything and cover the pan with lid.

Cook the chicken on medium flame, stirring occasionally until all the moisture evaporates.

Next add the whisked yogurt and mix again.

Close the lid and cook again until the chicken is soft and tender from inside.

If the moisture evaporates again with the oil separating at the edges, add ½ cup of water to the curry to create the gravy.

When the chicken is completely cooked, simmer on low until you get your desired consistency.

Switch off the flame when the curry thickens and the oil starts to show.

Throw in the garam masala powder, slit green chillies, julienned ginger with the chopped coriander leaves and give a good but gently stir to mix them with the gravy.

Serve hot with some chapatti / naan / kulcha / just plain hot rice.