Chicken Curry With Cream (Shahi Murgh)

Gather the ingredients.

Grind the almonds or cashews to a fine powder in a food processor. Set aside.

Heat the vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot, on medium heat.

When the oil is hot, add all the whole spices and sauté until they begin to turn darker in color and slightly fragrant. It means they are ready.

Next, add the finely chopped onions and fry until they begin to turn a pale golden color. This should take between 5 to 10 minutes.

Now add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and all the powdered spices, including the garam masala. Also, add the ground nuts and the salt. Stir to mix everything well and fry the masala, frequently stirring, until the oil begins to separate from it. Frequent stirring will prevent burning and will also ensure an evenly browned masala. The oil separating from the masala is a sign that it is well cooked. This results in smooth, well-amalgamated flavors.

Add the chicken and stir to coat it fully with the masala. Sauté until the chicken is browned.

Add 6 ounces of hot water to the pot, stir well and cover the pot. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

When the chicken is done, add the thick cream and stir well. Continue to cook until most of the gravy has dried off. The result should be a dish with thick gravy.

Turn off the heat and serve Shahi Murgh with chapatis, parathas, jeera rice or plain boiled rice.