Step by step

Method

4 steps

1. 1

   Toss 1½ lb bone-in or boneless chicken pieces with 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and ½ teaspoon turmeric. Marinate 20 minutes at room temp — the chicken should look coated in a pale yellow yogurt paste. (Meanwhile, if frying your own onions: thinly slice 1 large onion and fry in oil until deep golden; drain.)

2. 2

   Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot over medium heat with 4 green cardamom pods (or ¼ teaspoon ground) and 1 small cinnamon stick (or ¼ teaspoon ground). Add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring, 6–8 minutes until the yogurt looks set on the outside and the raw pink is mostly gone — it will look a bit curdled at first; keep going.

3. 3

   Stir in the fried onion (or ½ cup store-bought fried onions), 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, and ½ cup water. Cover and simmer over medium-low 15–18 minutes until the chicken is tender (165°F at the thickest piece, or juices run clear) and the gravy is thick enough to cling. Uncover for the last few minutes if it's watery.

4. 4

   Rest off heat 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and sliced green chili. Serve with rice or naan. You want tender chicken in a yogurt-onion Hyderabadi gravy with warm spice aroma — not dry chicken or a broken watery sauce.