First, start by cleaning the chicken pieces well.

Next, drain the excess water and transfer it into a large bowl.

In the bowl add the lime juice, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt to taste, oil, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and garam masala powder.

Combine them nicely and make sure to coat all the crevices. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least for 5-6 hours.

Roughly chop the onion and tomatoes. Keep them aside.

Take a cooking pan and add a tbsp of oil.

Let the oil heat until it smokes a little. Keep the flame on medium.

Now, add the cumin seeds. Stir them until they crackle and then add the dried green chilis along with the garlic cloves.

Fry them until the raw scent of the garlic is gone.

Then, add the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black cardamom, black peppercorns, and mace.

Stir them until they are fragrant. Keep the temperature on low to medium.

Next, add the coriander seeds. Stir everything for about 30 seconds.

Now, add the til or sesame seeds to the pan.

Stir all the ingredients for 1 more minute.

After this, add the poppy seeds and stir for 50 seconds more. Stir consistently.

When done, transfer them onto a plate.

In the same pan add a bit more oil.

After it hits up, add the roughly chopped onions and tomato.

Sauté them for a minute and then add a bit of salt. Fry them for 6-8 minutes more, keeping the temperature on medium.

Let everything cool properly.

After they cool down, transfer everything into a mixer blender (remove the bay leaves).

Add in the dried desiccated coconut and then blend everything into a fine smooth paste. Keep them aside.

Let the oil heat until it smokes a little. Keep the flame on medium.

Next, add the fine paste along with 1 cup of water.

Stir everything and let the gravy cook for about 5-7 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid and stir occasionally.

Remove the cover and add red chili powder.

Stir the masala and let it cook.

When the oil starts to separate from the masala, add in the chicken.

Nicely combine the masala with the chicken pieces. Cover and let them cook for 5 minutes.

In the meantime heat up 1 ½ cup of water.

After about 5 minutes, add salt to taste and stir everything.

Cover and cook the chicken for 5-10 minutes more. Stir consistently.

Now, add the heated water to the pot.

Keep the flame on medium and let everything cook properly.

Take a taste test. Also, check if the chicken is cooked through properly.

When the chicken is cooked, remove the lid and reduce the gravy to a thick consistency. We don’t need it to be watery.

Now, add the chopped coriander leaves and combine them in.

When it is done, transfer it into a serving bowl and garnish the Chicken Kolhapuri with a slit green chili.