Step 1

Wash and cut chicken into bite size pieces and marinade it in yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, coriander powder, pepper powder, Red Chile powder, turmeric, 1 Tsp salt and lime juice. Keep the marinated chicken on table top for about an hour.

Step 2

In a pan heat 1 Tbsp ghee and add to it 15 garlic pods, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, whole cloves, grated ginger, coriander seeds, and wholekashmiri red chilies. Fry this for about a minute or so, add the tamrind pulp to the pan and about a cup of water. Allow the water to boil for about five minutes so that the masalas get soft. Cool down this mixture and make it into a fine paste.

Step 3

In a heavy bottom pan, add about 1/2 Tsp ghee and the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Cover and cook till the marinade thickens and the chicken cooks.

Step 4

In another heavy bottomed pan, heat the remaining ghee (about 5.5 Tbsp), temper with a handful of curry leaves and add the masala paste along with 1/2 Tsp salt. Allow the masala to get completely fried. Keep adding water so that the flavors from the aromatic spices blend with each other. The masala is done when you see ghee floating on top of the masala. This take about the same amount of time that takes the chicken marinade to be cooked.

Step 5

Mix the cooked chicken with the fried masala and continue frying for about 10 minutes. Add powdered jaggery and mix well. Taste for salt and adjust if it is less.

Step 6

The chicken should be completely cooked by now and should get coated with a thick layer of masala. You will also see the ghee floating along with the masala.

Step 7

Garnish with curry leaves or coriander and serve hot.