This must be a dish which is the most popular embodiment of indian cuisine outside of india and so poorly made in most places that’s its almost an abomination.
There are many stories of how it came to be and the most common one seems to be the one about how the owners of a Delhi restaurant wanted to use up their left over Tandoori chicken( which btw is another post altogether)
Here’s my take on it, without adding loads of food coloring or enough sugar to make it a dessert.
Chicken marinade
- Plain natural yoghurt/Greek -50 gms / 2T
- Red chilli powder- to your taste..get kashmiri , because has nice colour aand wont burn you as much. Can use a mix of chilli and smoked paprika too
- Ginger and garlic paste- 20 gms
- Garam masala powder- pinch ( this is home made blend of spices) each one claims that their blend is the best or gods gift to spice kind
- Kasoori methi leaves- pinch( dried fenugreek leaves)-i toast these in the microwave and crumble or blend and store.You can get the dried leaves in a Persian and obviously an Indian store.
- Salt
- lemon – if yoghurt isnt sour/tart enough
- mustard oil-1T/ 20 ml
Mix all the above with some boneless skinless chicken breast or leg, ideally for at least 12 hours. You could do it for less time, but then have lesser flavour of spices penetrating the meat and less tender meat .
Cook in very hot oven for about 15 minutes 220C/ 450 F.
This just by itself becomes a lovely appetizer just have to make sure you cook it just right never underdone and never too dry.
For the sauce
- onion chopped-1 small about 50 gms
- oil-25 ml/ roughly 1 T
- green cardamom-1
- cumin-1/2 tsp
- cloves -1
- cinnamon – 1 small stick
- tomato paste about 50 gms
- sugar/ Honey – to cut down on the acidity from the tomatoes
- kasoori methi -pinch
- ginger and garlic paste
- coriander fresh
- cream-100 ml
- pepper powder
- chilli powder- not a huge ammt
- Fresh ginger – for garnish
heat oil with the whole spices , add chopped onion and saute till translucent.Add ginger and garlic paste tomato paste and cook till it almost starts to stick and scorch.
then add a little water-50 -100 ml and put on low heat .add the powdered spices and cream and cook till quite thick and creamy.
add in your roasted chicken cut into bite size chunks and cook till tender and right consistency.
top with chopped fresh coriander and some ginger julienne.
the sugar you add to cut down on acidity of the tomato paste…you dont want it sweet like some disgusting Indian restaurants/curry shops.
But done well this can be quite a nice meal. My kids love this and lick the plate clean and boy they are demanding about the food they eat and why not.
Good flavors and tasty food make the world go around