Mild, sweet and deceptively rich, this dish has overtones of the Moghul Empire. Serve with plenty of boiled basmati rice to soak up the thin sauce.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted pistachio nuts
• 4 onions, peeled and sliced
• 10 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled (or 2 tblsp freshly minced garlic)
• 5cm piece ginger, peeled (or 4-5 tsp freshly minced)
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 kg whole chicken
• 8 green chillies, halved and deseeded
• 2 tblsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ cup cream
• ¼ cup thick yoghurt

Garnish

• fresh coriander or parsley
• about ½ cup extra pistachio nuts

Method

1. Grind the pistachio nuts to a fine paste in a coffee grinder or food processor. Set aside.
2. Boil the onions in 2 cups water over a low heat for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and place into a blender with the ginger and garlic, and process until smooth.
3. Heat 1-2 tblsp oil in a frying pan and cook the onion paste for about 10 minutes over a low heat, stirring regularly until the onion is soft.
4. While the onion is cooking, use kitchen scissors scissors to cut the chicken (including bone) into 4-5cm size pieces. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken pieces evenly. Set aside.
5. Add the green chillies, coriander salt and pepper to the onion paste and cook a further minute.
6. Then add the chicken pieces, ground pistachio nuts and chicken stock. Cover and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until tender.
7. Stir in the garam masala, cream and yoghurt just before serving. Serve garnished with coriander and extra pistachio nuts.