Indian Spice Box Chicken Recipes

INDIAN SPICE BOX CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the Chilli-ginger garnish (see right), before you start the chicken.
• Cut down the length of the green chillies, then remove the seeds by scraping them out with a teaspoon. You may want to wear rubber gloves for this job - fiery seeds can give the fingers a real chilli sting. Cut off the stalk ends, chop the chillies into rough pieces and put them in a blender or food processor. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and add to the chillies. Do the same with the ginger.
• Pick the leaves off the coriander and drop them into the blender as you go (reserve the stems for the garnish). Tip in the yogurt and blitz everything to a puree. This can take a few minutes and you may have to stop the blender a few times to scrape all the gunge down from the sides - a rubber spatula will make this job much easier.
• Peel, halve and thinly slice the onions. Pull the skin off the chicken, using kitchen paper to help you get a good grip. Heat the oil in a saute pan over a medium heat until hot - when you drop in a spice seed or two it should sizzle. Toss in the fennel and cumin seeds and let them crackle and pop for 10-20 seconds, stirring all the time so they don't burn. They're ready when you get a lovely whiff of warm nuts. If the oil starts to smoke, remove pan from the heat.
• Plop in the butter and let it melt, then throw in the sliced onions and turn the heat down a tad. Stir to mix the onions and spice seeds, then cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are meltingly soft and tinged golden brown. Give them a vigorous stir now and then, but don't stir them too often or they won't take on any colour.
• Push the onions to one side of the pan, then add the chicken thighs, smooth side down. Increase the heat to between medium and high and fry the chicken until it's golden brown on both sides. This should take about 15-20 minutes and you will need to turn the pieces over halfway (a pair of tongs are good for this). Watch carefully in case the onions start to brown too much - if they do, pile them up on top of the chicken.
• Stir in some of the yogurt mixture and cook until it disappears - repeat a dollop at a time. Whizz 150ml/¼ pint cold water in the blender to use the last bits of the mixture and add to the pan with a pinch of salt. Stir until bubbling, scraping up any crispy bits. Reduce the heat to its lowest and cover the pan tightly. Simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is tender when pierced, stirring and turning halfway and adding a splash of hot water if the sauce is too dry. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped coriander stems and a little chilli garnish (put the rest in a bowl on the table).

THE BEST BUTTER CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the marinade: Whisk together the yogurt, salt, ginger and garlic in a large bowl until combined. Toss the chicken in the seasoned yogurt marinade until evenly coated. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24. (Overnight works best.)
• For the sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot over medium heat. Toss the fenugreek seeds, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and clove in the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darker and very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onions, season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until very fragrant and the ginger starts to turn golden and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and chili powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up into pieces with a spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and the tomatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick (but leave the other whole spices).
• Let the hot sauce cool for about 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender filling no more than halfway. Remove the center cap from the lid and place it on the blender. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. (If your blender is small, you may need to work in batches.) Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the cream to the blender and puree until creamy. Pour into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, arrange a rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside.
• Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the rack. Broil until the chicken starts to brown in spots, 3 to 6 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Remove from the broiler. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the cilantro. Serve with rice and naan alongside.

INDIAN BARBEQUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make shallow crosswise slits in the meat of the chicken parts to help absorb more flavor. Mix together the lemon juice and meat tenderizer; rub into the chicken meat. Place chicken into a shallow dish.
• Place 1/2 cup yogurt, cumin, coriander, cilantro, paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper, and garlic into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups of yogurt. Pour over the chicken parts, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat grill for medium heat.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Remove chicken from the marinade, and discard any remaining marinade. Grill chicken 30 to 45 minutes, turning frequently to prevent burning, until juices run clear. Smaller pieces will finish cooking first.

FRIED CHICKEN MASALA

Steps:

• To make the brine, mix the buttermilk with all of the spices in a large bowl. Transfer to a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and refrigerate overnight.
• Heat 1 inch of canola oil in a large heavy-bottomed high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F. In a shallow bowl, whisk the flour with the spices and add the chicken pieces. Turn to coat in the flour and let the chicken rest in the flour until the oil gets hot. Tap off the excess flour and add as many pieces of chicken to the skillet as you can. Fry until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and fry until the chicken is deeply browned on the other side, about another 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve while warm or at room temperature.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Steps:

• In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 13 ingredients. Add chicken, jalapeno and bay leaf. Cook, covered, on low 4 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove jalapeno and bay leaf., In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cream until smooth; gradually stir into sauce. Cook, covered, on high 15-20 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve with rice. If desired, sprinkle with cilantro.