Andy's Murgh Kurma (Chicken Curry)

4 Green cardamon pods

-(up to 8) 2 lb Chicken

1 c Plain yogurt

6 Cloves, whole

-(up to 8) 1 ts Salt

2 ts Cinnamon

1 ts Turmeric

1 md Onion

6 Szechuan peppercorns

-(up to 8) 4 tb Vegetable oil

2 Bay leaves

5 Garlic cloves

-(or less, to taste) 1/4 ts Ginger root

1 ts Black pepper

1/4 c Tomato puree

1 c Water

Thoroughly clean the chicken pieces, then marinate with yogurt and salt for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the spices. Chop the garlic and ginger, then add black pepper to this mixture. Set aside in a small bowl. Near the end of the hour of marinating, melt the shortening in a coverable skillet (woks will do). Chop the onion and brown in the skillet for about 10 minutes.

After the onions are ready, add the garlic/ginger/pepper mixture. Let simmer for approximately 5 minutes, then add the chicken. Let the chicken simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until cooked. Add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and bay leaves. Leave them whole. Simmer for 5 minutes. Finally, add the tomato puree and water to the mixture and cook until the mixture has thickened. Serve with rice and chapati. NOTES: * A simple chicken curry. : Difficulty: moderate. : Time: 1 hour marinating, 15 minutes preparation, 1 hour cooking. : Precision: approximate measurement OK. : Andy House : Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA : ahouse@dz.sei.cmu.edu : Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust