Chicken Masala Easy

Heat oil in a large heavy pan.

Add onion and stir for a few mins on a high flame.

Add cinnamon, cardamons, cloves and fennel seeds and stir a little.

Lower the heat and cook for 10 mins.

Add ginger and garlic, stir and cook for another 10 mins on a low heat.

:- Stir continuously to make sure nothing browns or burns.

Add turmeric, coriander and chilly powder and fry gently for a minute.

Add 1 tbsp of yoghurt, stir round and turn the heat up so the yoghurt sizzles in the oil.

:- It won`t split if you`ve used full cream yoghurt.

When the yoghurt has lost a lot of it`s moisture, add another tbsp of it and stir fry as before.

Repeat, until all the yoghurt is incorporated.

:- The last tablespoons won`t sizzle but it doesn`t matter.

Add the tomato purTe and stir in.

:- The colour of the dish should now be similar to the background colour of the recipe list page - a rich orangy yellow with red flecks if you`ve turned the graphics off.

Stir in lots of hot water enough to make the mixture very fluid.

Bring to boil and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 mins.

Add salt.

Heat a little oil in a large heavy frying pan.

Stir-fry the chicken pieces over a moderate heat, until they are sealed and have turned white.

Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer gently for another 20 - 30 mins, until the chicken is cooked.

Stir from time to time.

:- If the sauce gets too dry, add a little hot water.

10 mins from the end, add the creamed coconut pieces and stir to melt them.

:- Adjust the consistency of the sauce with some hot water as the creamed coconut will thicken the sauce. :- At the end of the cooking you should have a fairly thick, creamy sauce with little patches of oil appearing at the top. :- Remove the cinnamon and cardamoms, if you can find them! Don`t worry about the cloves.

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

:- Serve hot.