Chicken Chaap

Ingredients:

Chicken - 2.5 lb / around 1 kg cut into big pieces, preferably 4 leg quarters
Yogurt - 1 cup
Saffron pinch- dissolved in 1/2 cup of water
Onion paste - 1/2 cup
Garlic paste - 1 tblsp
Ginger paste - 1 tblsp
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder - 2 tblsp
Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp or as per your tolerance
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp
Whole Cashew - 15 pieces
Bengal gram flour- 4tblspn
Fennel seed paste -2tblspn

Special Garammasala Powder:
Cardamom - 4
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Clove - 4
Peppercorn -8
Nutmeg(jayfal) -1
Javitri (Mace ) - 3-4 blades
Star anise - 1
Bay leaf-2
Fennel seed -2tspn
Salt & Sugar-as per taste
Oil + Ghee (clarified butter ) - 4 + 2
Kewra water - few drops

Method :

Take cardamom, cinnamon, clove,peppercorn,mace,nutmeg,fennel seed,bay leaf and star anise, dry roast them. Let it cool down first, then grind it to a fine powder. Set it aside the special garammasala powder.
 Soak the poppy seeds and cashew  in half cup of water for 10 to 15 minute and make a paste.
 Take the chicken pieces, wash and pat dry with kitchen towel. Take a big bowl,add the saffron, yogurt, salt, sugar, the onion paste, garlic paste, ginger paste, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, red chili powder,gram flour,1tspn of the special garpowder,the poppy seeds and cashew paste ( and a pinch of corn flour or plain flour to avoid curdling from yogurt)  and mix them well. Cover it & refrigerate overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator atleast 30mins before cooking.Add oil and ghee to the pan and heat it up, once it is ready, add the chicken pieces from the marinade. Saute the chicken piece for couple of minutes, then add the marinade also. Stir it occasionally and let it cook over medium to high flame and cover it with a lid. Check it in few minutes and again give some stirs until oil comes up from the sides of pan and chicken gets soft and tender.

Check the seasoning, add 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of the spice powder ( garam masala), add few drops of kewra water. Give some stirs and mix it well. Chicken Chaap is ready, serve hot with Biryani or Naan or tandoori rotis. Enjoy!!

Note : You can make 'Mutton Chaap' following the same recipe, add one cup of grated raw papaya while marinating mutton.