Chicken

“Food is not about impressing people. It’s about making them feel comfortable.”
- Ina Garten, ‘The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook’

“Food is not about impressing people, it’s about making them feel comfortable.” Ina Garten

And comfortable they do feel with this fiery dish. The crescendo of the stir frying chilies, curry leaves and garlic is always a conversation stopper; and not in a bad sort of way. It just moves people, the way musical crescendos do and then like any great piece of music, it reaches the climax. The spicy aroma of chicken 65 drifts about, people gather around and the party begins. Compliments galore, happy - smiling friends, satisfied taste buds. Secret Recipe? Lots of love and the following ingredients -

Serves 4-5

Plan:

Chicken: 1 pound boneless thigh meat cut into 1”- 2” pcs
Greek Yogurt: 2 Tbs + 2 Tbs (whisked)
Corn starch: 2 Tbs
Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tsp
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder : ½ tsp
Cinnamon powder : ½ tsp
Garlic : 2Tbs sliced thin
Curry leaves: 8 – 10 (washed and patted dry)
Peanut Oil : for deep frying
Lemon Juice: 2 Tsp
Egg : 1
Salt : As per taste
Rice Vinegar – 1/2 teaspoon
Thai Green chilies : 3 – 8 ( julienne super thin)( 3 being hot and 8 fiery fiery hot – use less than 3 for a mild hot)

Procedure :

In a deep bowl, mix yogurt(2tbs), red chili, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt
Mix in the lemon juice and add the chicken pieces
Now add the corn flour to coat all the chicken pieces.
Beat the egg lightly and add it in and mix well.
Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour max.
Heat the oil in a wok to a scalding 350*F (175 C)
Turn the heat to medium high, add a few pieces of chicken at a time.
Take care not to over crowd the wok.
Cook until the chicken turns a nice shade of brown and reaches an inner temperature of 165F.
Fish out the fried chicken with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a tray lined with paper towels.
Repeat for the remaining pieces.
In a different wok or pan, add a tsp of oil ( you can use the hot oil from the frying wok)
Add in the curry leaves, let them sizzle
Add the garlic , let it sizzle n cook but not burn
Add the thai chillies and sizzle sizzle sizzle they go
Add the vinegar and the yogurt and keep stirring until the liquids sort of mix in
Add in the fried chicken
Stir, transfer to a plate, and serve with lemon wedges and onion rings and take a bow to a round of applause!

Notes :

1) Chilies vary in pungency at times, so use caution while adding them. Sometimes a couple of them can make a dish really hot. I usually chop the tip off and carefully take a whiff. The strong pungent ones smell strong and pungent from a distance. So there! Use caution and experience and your instincts.

2) Remove the white membrane carefully if you do not want your food too hot

3) Never touch slit green chilies with bare hands. Use food safe gloves or a food scraper to transfer them from the chopping board.

Nothing makes a meal in a Punjabi Dhaba more complete than the quintessential Murgh Makhani. I remember longing to eat some butter chicken with Naan when I was a student in Delhi. The aroma from the dhabas was torturous, yeah you read that right – torturous!
Well thats because our pockets were not as deep as we would have wanted them to be!. So we would save some money and then order some of the goodies once or twice a month.

Fast forward to now – I am no longer in Delhi or India. Yet I remember the texture, the aroma and the combination of depths of spice that this dish has. After a few attempts ,I have somewhat mastered the art of making Butter chicken. I Love Julie Sahni’s Recipes and this one sure rocks!

Julie Sahni’s Velvet Buttered Chicken
(from a recipe in Classic Indian Cooking)
Link

Plan

Tandoori Grilled chicken : 16 boneless thigh fillets [ Directions for making tandoori chicken ]
3 cups canned tomatoes in puree, measured with puree
4 green chilies, seeded (or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper, or to taste)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) butter
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-1/2 cups heavy cream [substitute with natural yogurt [Dahi]]
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground roasted cumin seeds, optional
1/4 cup firmly packed minced fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Cut the chicken pieces neatly into halves, so that you have 16 pieces of chicken.
2. Put tomatoes, green chilies and ginger in a blender or food processor and blend to a fine puree.
3. Place 1 stick of butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan, preferably one with a non-stick surface, over medium heat. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to coat the surface. When the foam begins to subside, add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, and sear until they are nicely browned all over (about 2-3 minutes per batch). Remove them with a slotted spoon into a bowl and put aside.
4. Add the 4 teaspoons of cumin and the paprika to the butter in the pan and cook, stirring rapidly, for 10-15 seconds. Add the tomato mixture and cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened (about 5-8 minutes), stirring constantly to prevent sticking and burning.
5. Add salt, cream and chicken pieces (with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl). Gently stir the chicken to coat the pieces evenly and thoroughly with the sauce. Be careful not to break the fragile chicken pieces. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the fat begins to separate from the sauce and a thin glaze appears on the surface (about 10 minutes). Check and stir often (but only one or two stirs at a time) to ensure that the sauce is not burning.
6. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of butter, garam masala, and roasted cumin if you are using it. Turn off the heat, and let the dish stand, covered, for 1/2 hour before serving. When ready to serve, heat thoroughly, check for salt, and fold in the chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice, pilaf or nan, a tandoor-cooked flat bread which can be found frozen at Indian food markets.