I like to use bird’s-eye chilies here, but any fresh hot green chilies will do. Use only as much of the larger chilies as you think you can handle. I often make this when I am in a hurry, as it cooks fast. You could serve this with any rice dish. I like it with the Tomato Pullao. This is also great to take on picnics or serve at a summer lunch: fill pita bread pockets with this, spoon in a little Fresh Green Chutney, and eat!

　　

Ingredients

serves 2¿3

　　3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

　　1 clove garlic, crushed to a pulp

　　1 teaspoon very finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　2 teaspoons lemon juice

　　A generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　4 whole cardamom pods

　　1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

　　1–2 fresh hot bird’s-eye chilies, chopped

　　2 tablespoons plain yogurt

　　1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　

Step 1

Combine the chicken, garlic, ginger, salt, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Mix well.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a frying pan or wok and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cardamom pods. Stir once and put in the onions and chilies. Stir and fry until the onion pieces turn brown at the edges. Add 1 tablespoon yogurt and stir it until it disappears. Add the second tablespoon of yogurt. When it disappears, add the turmeric and the seasoned chicken. Stir and fry for a minute. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover, and turn heat to low. Cook 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove cover. Turn heat up and let all the liquid dry up, stirring as this happens.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.