Chicken in Poppy Seed Gravy

There are several structures in the English language that just does not make sense. It is indeed "a strange language" like the teacher who trained us to be tutors liked to say. Its idiosyncrasies are not very obvious for people who have been speaking and writing with the language for a long time. But for someone newly learning the language it is indeed very complicated and lot of times plain frustrating. For example consider the usage of the verb 'has' or 'have' which is determined by the subject.

1. I have a book.
2. She has a book.
3. He has a book.
4. We have a book.
5. They have a book.

Condone/Condole a pair of words which make me stop and think for a second before I realize which one is being used. The intricacies of the English language is nothing new but I am just starting to fully understand how strange the language really is, now that I am teaching the language to someone whose language I don't speak.

If we consider recipe speak 'few' and 'little' are two words that are very commonly used. Using 'a few' or 'a little' carries a different meaning compared to 'few' or 'little'.

Consider the following two sentences,
The sauce tastes even better with the addition of a few chilies.
The sauce tastes even better with the addition of few chilies.

The first sentence means adding a few (may be 1 or 2)chilies gives the sauce a better taste whereas the second suggests not to add any chilies to give the sauce a better taste. Usually reading through the complete recipe would give a good idea of what the cook/writer is suggesting but just going with that sentence you'd be doing the wrong thing. An English teacher of mine in middle school talked about it one day in class otherwise I'd be none the wiser. Wanted to bring this up as further proof of the strangeness of the English language.

As for the chicken curry nothing strange about it just delicious that's all. I had intended the dish to last for lunch and dinner but it got polished off by lunch. I'd like to think it shows how delicious it was. We had gone to dinner at a friend's and she made a very very tasty chicken biryani. This curry is made based on her recipe. The poppy seed gives it a creamy texture. I used a combination of chicken drumettes(chicken wings cut like drumstick) and thighs with bones. Once the curry is completed in the cooker the fat from the skin can be be skimmed of. I used canned tomatoes which gave it a nice reddish color. The orange color of most restaurant gravies turns me off but I strive for the deep red color and the canned tomatoes make it possible.

Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
1. 2 lbs Chicken thighs with bones cut into bites sized pieces
2. 8 drumettes
3. 1 Medium size red onion chopped fine
4. 1/4 Cup canned chopped tomatoes with juice (no salt added) minced
5. handful mint leaves
6. 1 tbsp chili powder _ 1/2 tbsp chicken masala or coriander powder
7. 2 tsp pepper powder
8. seasonings: 3-4 cloves, a small stick of cinnamon, 1tsp fennel seeds (any other whole spice you prefer), curry leaves
9. 1-2 tsp canola oil
10. salt to taste
11. coriander leaves for garnish

For the paste
1. 3/4 tbsp poppy seeds soaked in water for 30 minutes
2. 6-8 garlic cloves
3. 1 tbsp of ginger
4. 3-4 red chilies (I used kashmiri chilies for the bright color)
blend the above to a smooth paste

Method
1. In a pressure add oil and when hot add the seasonings, let them try slightly brown
2. Add the onions and saute till they are translucent
3. Add the ground masala paste and fry till the smell of raw garlic is gone.
4. Add the mint leaves and saute
5. Now add the chicken and saute for about 5-8 minutes
6. Add the minced tomatoes and mix well
7. Add the chili and pepper powders
8. Add salt, close the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle. (If not using pressure cooker close the lid and cook for about 10-12 minutes till the chicken is completely cooked.

Serve with chapatis or over rice.

This chicken dish goes to Viki's kitchen for her 'The Potluck - Chicken' event.