Chicken Korma

Slice onions thinly to prepare Birista and keep ready.

Heat oil in a large vessel; the oil level should be below the onions to shallow fry, not deep fry.

Add onions to oil heated to about 150°C and fry on high flame while stirring frequently until onions turn light golden brown.

Adjust flame as needed to prevent onions from browning too fast or frying too slow.

Remove fried onions as soon as they reach a light golden color; press lightly to remove excess oil and transfer onto tissue paper to cool and separate.

Let Birista cool for 5-6 minutes, then crush it by hand gently to preserve texture; do not use a mixer grinder.

Prepare aromatic spice mix by grinding 1 black cardamom, 5 green cardamom, 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, a small piece of nutmeg, and 1/2 blade of mace coarsely.

Make incisions in chicken leg pieces to prevent them from retracting, then transfer chicken to a broad, large cooking pot.

Add curd, spices, ginger garlic paste, salt, and 3 ladles of Birista frying oil to the chicken in the pot and mix well.

Cook chicken on high flame while stirring until chicken releases juices and is about 70-80% cooked (about 9-11 minutes total).

Cover the pot and cook for additional 4-5 minutes, lowering flame if needed to allow more juice release.

Strain chicken using a strainer and set aside; keep the juices and curd mixture in the pot.

Add crushed Birista and 1 tbsp coriander powder to the pot with curd mixture.

Cook on high flame stirring continuously until the gravy develops a grainy, crumbly texture, about 20-25 minutes; add hot water if it becomes too dry.

Add the cooked chicken back to the grainy gravy and mix well.

Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low flame for another 6-7 minutes until chicken is fully cooked.

Add the prepared aromatic spice mix and 1 tsp kewra water, stir well.

Serve hot with Khameeri Roti or Rumali Roti for an authentic Old Delhi experience.