Effortless Chicken Phaal Dish

Ingredients 0/20

Step 1

Heat some ghee in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook it, stirring now and then, until it begins to brown nicely—this usually takes about 8 minutes. Then toss in the garlic and fresh ginger, stirring constantly for about a minute until you can really smell their aroma.

Step 2

Add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they turn a light golden color—this should take around 10 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, mix together the ground fennel, lal mirchi, cumin, coriander, ground ginger, fenugreek, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper in a small bowl. Add a tablespoon or two of water to make a smooth paste.

Step 3

Stir this spice paste into the chicken and cook it for a couple of minutes to really bring out the flavors. Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of water, then keep cooking and stirring until most of the liquid evaporates, about 7 to 8 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it so the spices don’t burn.

Step 4

Add the jwala chiles, habanero chiles, and tomatoes to the skillet. Cook everything together, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and start to break down—this will take about 10 minutes. If the chicken still looks a little pink inside, just add a splash of water, a tablespoon at a time, and keep cooking until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.