Indian cuisine is a mouthwatering amalgamation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies that are hard to resist. And if you like chicken, you simply cannot deny how Indian cuisine can spoil you for choice. Everything from the quintessential chicken biryani and butter chicken to the royal feast of chicken korma or the southern speciality of chicken chettinad screams indulgence. But what’s an Indian dish without the masalas? While most people now resort to ready-made masalas, nothing can beat the aroma and flavours of a homemade, freshly blended masala. Don't you agree?
And if you too are a fan of homemade masalas for a mouth-watering chicken curry, we have the perfect recipe to make it in just 10 minutes. India isn’t new to making masalas. It's a centuries-old culinary tradition, which our ancestors used to follow much before ready-made masalas took over the kitchen shelves. Our homemade chicken masala is made with spices such as curry leaves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, and peppercorns. They are roasted and then ground to form a fine powder, which can be stored and used whenever required. This simple masala can be used at home for many lip-smacking dishes besides chicken curries to enhance the flavour.
To make this masala, you first need to dry roast the curry leaves on a pan on a low flame until they dehydrate and turn crispy. Now, dry roast the red chillies for 2 minutes. Once done, keep it aside. Now dry roast fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns until they release a nice aroma. Let the masalas cool, after which you can simply grind them in a mixer grinder to form a fine powder. Add salt and mix well. Your homemade chicken masala is ready!
You can store this masala in an airtight container and use it whenever needed. Take a look at the full recipe:
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coriander seeds
- 1.5 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 5 Dry red chillies
- 25–30 curry leaves
- 1 tbsp. fenugreek seeds
- Salt to taste
Method
- First, take a pan and dry roast the curry leaves on a low flame until they turn crispy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Dry roast the red chillies for 2–3 minutes. Once done, keep it aside and let it cool.
- In the same pan, add fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns and dry roast them until a nice aroma releases. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Now, add the roasted spices to a mixer-grinder and grind well to form a fine powder.
- Add salt and mix well. Homemade chicken masala is ready!