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1
Brown the Onion in the Handi
10 Mins
Medium heat, ~180°C (350°F)
Warm the handi gently over medium heat, add the ghee and let it melt. Add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes until soft, golden and sweet — this slow browning is the base of the whole dish, so do not rush it. Stir in the grated ginger and crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
If your handi is unglazed clay, never put it on a fierce flame: heat it gently from medium and let the pot warm through, or it can crack.
Done when: The onion is soft, golden and sweet-smelling, not raw or browned dark.
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2
Build the Tomato-Yoghurt Masala
10 Mins
Medium heat, ~180°C (350°F)
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder, black pepper and the chopped green chillies. Cook, stirring and mashing the tomatoes with the spoon, for 8–10 minutes until the tomatoes have melted into a thick masala and the ghee separates at the edges. Lower the heat, then stir in the whisked yogurt one spoonful at a time, stirring constantly until each spoonful is absorbed before adding the next.
Add the yogurt off the fiercest heat, a spoonful at a time — pouring cold yogurt into a boiling masala is what makes it curdle.
Done when: A thick, deep-red masala with oil glistening at the edges; the yogurt is fully stirred in with no white streaks.
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3
Add the Chicken & Seal the Handi
15 Mins
Low heat, ~120°C (250°F)
Lay the chicken pieces into the masala and turn them so every piece is coated. Add the remaining salt, cover the handi with its lid and lower the heat until the sauce is barely bubbling. Leave it to cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes, then lift the lid, turn the pieces over and cover again.
Resist lifting the lid every few minutes: the handi's tight lid traps the steam, and that trapped steam is what cooks the chicken tender.
Done when: The chicken is coated in masala and the sauce is simmering gently, not boiling hard.
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4
Simmer Low & Slow
15 Mins
Low heat, ~120°C (250°F)
Keep the handi covered on the lowest heat for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Check the thickest piece: the meat must reach at least 74°C (165°F) inside and come away from the bone easily. If the sauce looks too thick, stir in a splash of hot water; if it looks thin, cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes.
The handi holds its heat long after the flame is off, so take it off the heat while the sauce is still slightly looser than you want — it will thicken as it rests.
Done when: Chicken is tender, cooked through to 74°C (165°F), and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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5
Finish with Cream & Kasuri Methi
5 Mins
Off the heat
Take the handi off the heat. Pour in the cream in a slow stream, stirring gently, then crush the kasuri methi between your palms over the pot and sprinkle in the garam masala. Cover and rest for 5 minutes so the fenugreek perfumes the sauce, then uncover and scatter over the ginger matchsticks, the slit green chillies, the coriander and the lemon juice.
Cream and kasuri methi always go in off the heat: boiling cream dulls its flavour, and the methi needs the resting steam, not the flame, to release its scent.
Done when: The sauce is glossy and creamy, with the scent of fenugreek rising from the pot and fresh ginger and chillies on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Carry the handi straight to the table, lid on, and lift it at the table so the steam and the smell of fenugreek escape in front of everyone. Serve hot from the pot, with naan for scooping — the handi is the serving dish.
Pakistan
5h 30m
