Tomato Chicken Curry + Garlic Chicken Masala

Cooking is indeed the best form of therapy you can have, satisfies both your heart and stomach at the same time. What more can you ask for? 
- Dementescibo

For me, the idle way to wrap up a long lazy day is to hit the kitchen and indulge in some cooking therapy. Here I have presented two simple (yet delicious) Chicken dishes and my recipes.

Tomato Chicken Curry:

500g Chicken (Skinless) 
4 Tomatoes (medium sized)
3 Onions (medium sized)
2 Green Chilli (depending on the spice you need)
Coriander
Lime Juice (1/2 lime would do)
Curd (very little for marination)
1 1/2 tbsp. Ginger Garlic paste
1 tbsp. Chilli Powder
1/2 tbsp. Turmeric Powder
1/2 tbsp. Coriander Powder
1/2 tbsp. Garam Masala
2 tbsp. Chicken Masala ( I prefer Everest, but any brand would do the trick)
Cooking Oil
Water
Salt (to taste)

For the marinate :- Wash and clean the chicken. Poke chicken gently with a fork or needle (this is to get the flavors mix well into to flesh of the chicken). Drain out excess water. Add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, curd and lime juice and mix well (for best result, use your hand to mix :)). Keep this marinate aside in a closed container for 1-2 hrs.

Cooking Order :- Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan (preferably nonstick). Add cut onions and fry them till golden brown (add a pinch of salt, helps cook the onions faster). Add green chilli and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes lose all the water. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chicken masala and ginger garlic paste. Cook till you get a thick paste of the mixture. Add the marinated chicken and cook on low flame. Cover the pan with a lid so the the chicken cooks in its own juices (for best taste). From time to time, keep stirring the chicken gently. Be careful not to break the pieces. If the mixture is getting too thick, add water to help give more cooking time. After about 20-30 min, remove the lid and add salt to taste. Add chopped coriander, turn off the flame and vola - Tomato Chicken Curry is ready.

Tip:- Cooking slower and longer helps cook the chicken well and keeps the meat soft and tender and also helps the masala to get together very well.

Garlic Chicken Masala:- 

400g Chicken (Preferably thigh cuts and wings)
8-10 garlic cloves
2 Green Chilli (depending on the spice you need)
Lime Juice (1/2 lime would do)
4 Onions (medium sized)
1 tbsp. Chilli Powder
2 tbsp. Tandoori Chicken Masala (I prefer Everest brand)
1/2 tbsp.Garam Masala
Cooking Oil
Salt (to taste)

For the Marinate:- Wash and clean the chicken. Add finely chopped garlic (while cutting garlic, give them a little crush with the blade of the knife, brings out more flavor), Salt, Chilli Powder, Tandoori Chicken Masala, 1 teaspoon cooking oil, lime juice and mix well (for best result, use your hand to mix :)). Keep aside for 2-3 hrs.

Cooking Order:- Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan (preferably nonstick). Add cut onions and fry them till golden brown (add a pinch of salt, helps cook the onions faster). Add green chilli and cook till onions turn brown. Now add the marinated chicken. Cook for 15-20 mins. Add pinch of garam masala and salt to taste. Turn off flame and let the chicken in the pan for about 2-3mins to get a good crisp finish. Serve hot (preferably, along with mint cutney :))

Tip:- There is not need to add more oil as the fat content in the chicken is sufficient to cook the meat.

And there you go, two quick delicious chicken dishes you cannot go wrong with. Do experiment with the spice levels depending on your liking. Please feel free to share you comments and tips below.