Chicken curry

The evenings always make me happy. After finishing all chores I sit down on the carpet of the living room with a big mug of tea, the Indian Chai in the early evening. It always gives me some inner peace. If somedays when I cannot do the same, I feel restless from inside. 

It was not exception few days back, when I sat on the carpet with the big mug, and the papers which my son brought back from school. I could hear the howling wind for inside. As I already drew the curtain, I didn’t know what exactly mother nature had been doing at that time. In the meantime I went to bed room, and looked outside through the bay window. I just stood there for few minutes, the picturesque view of the sky completely captivated me. It was just like huge blue-black umbrella had been covering the entire neighborhood. I was standing there, and thinking the childhood days when we used to enjoy the “Kalboishakhi”. 
“Kalboishkahi” is a type of sudden storm, usually comes in the April in Bengal, India. It always happens before the onset of summer, when the temperature starts soaring, and people feel restless. It always happens in the evening. All of a sudden the sky becomes dark, the cold wind starts blow, and then comes the rain, which usually stays for few minutes to half an hour , sometimes more. That sudden rain always make the weather cool, and let people sleep peacefully in the night. Now time has changed, we snick into air-conditioned room to get peaceful sleep. 
In the month of April, when sun starts showing no mercy, the mercury starts soaring up, we used to stare at the sky in the afternoon, whether the cloud had been accumulating on the Northeast direction (Ishan Kon, Ishan=northeast, Kon=angle or direction). Cloud is accumulating in that particular direction in the afternoon means, rain is certain.

Anyway, with that beautiful sky, we need some scrumptious food inside. So here comes the chicken curry in milk.

Two pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I used boneless breast), skinned and cut into medium sized pieces
Three fourth cup milk
One medium sized onion
One big tomato
Two-three cloves of garlic
One tsp. ginger paste
One tsp. cumin powder
One tsp. coriander powder
One tsp. garam masala powder
One tsp. paprika 
Salt to taste
Pinch of turmeric
One tbsp. , and half tsp. of oil
coriander leaves for garnishing
Cut the onion into big chunks. Peel the garlic cloves. Make a smooth paste of one-fourth cup milk, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and coriander powder. Wash the chicken pieces. Take big bowl. Marinate the chicken with the paste, and salt. Keep aside for two hours. In the meantime cut the tomato into big chunks and make a smooth paste.
Take a pan. Heat one tbsp. of oil in medium. Fry the chicken pieces, and keep aside. Do not throw away the extra marination paste which is left in the bowl. In the same pan, heat another tsp of oil. Add garam masala powder, paprika, and just mix it. Add the tomato puree, and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add the left over marination, and again for two three minutes. Stir well, to avoid scorching at bottom of the pan. Then add the chicken pieces, add slat and turmeric powder. Mix everything well, and let it cook covering the pan. If you need add half cup or more water. Cook in medium heat until chicken pieces are tender, stirring occasionally. When the chicken is done, add rest of the milk, stir a little, and switch of the stove. Serve hot with steaming rice.