Sneha's Recipe: Poppy seeds

This is a chicken dish in white gravy, hence it is called White chicken. It can be made with boneless or with bones, it will still taste delicious. I, have used chicken with bones and this dish was too yummy. Its a very rich gravy made of yogurt, poppy seeds, cashewnuts and cream. It's a Mughlai cuisine and makes a fantastic party dish and mildly spiced.

Ingredients

½ kg Chicken - cut into medium pieces
2 Medium Onions - sliced
4 Tablespoons Heaped Yogurt - beaten
3 Long Green chillies
2 Tablespoons Ginger Garlic paste
Salt
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cream
12 Whole cashewnuts
1 Tablespoons Poppy seeds / Khus Khus
¼ Cup Warm Milk
Whole Spices

1 Bay leaf

1 Big Brown Cardamom

2 Green Cardamoms

2 Cloves

2 Black peppercorns

1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds

1 Stick Cinnamon
Oil as required
Method

Marinate chicken in yogurt, ginger garlic paste, salt and keep aside for half hour.

Soak the cashewnuts and poppy seeds in ¼ cup warm milk for at least half hour. Then grind this to a fine paste with the milk. Keep aside.

Saute the onions in 2 tablespoons oil, till then turn light pink then add all the whole spices and green chillies saute till the spices release an aroma ( do not brown the onions or else the color of the dish will change). Let this cool completely then grind it to a fine paste with little water.

Saute the marinated chicken with 2 tablespoons oil on high heat till chicken becomes soft for 10 mins. Add the ground onion and spice paste and saute till oil surfaces. Add the cashew and poppy seeds paste and stir till well incorporated and on low flame let it simmer for 10 minutes or till oil surfaces and chicken is done.

Keep giving it a stir after every 2 minutes or else it will burn at the bottom of the pan. Drizzle a little cream.