Saturday, June 21, 2014

Chicken Curry

This post takes some time to write. Mostly because the non-veg preparation of this post has always been an issue for me. I get slightly squirmy around raw meat or fish especially the cleaning and cutting. Fish I cannot stand but seafood and meat - slightly better. The author has taken a lot of time to get over this issue to cook a proper dish of chicken curry.
 If there is any universal classic all around India it would be chicken curry. And every home has its own variation for their Sunday lunches or entertaining guests at home. I mean you have the spicy curries with curd and cream, the sweet and sour Western ones, the masala ones that have come out of my own home kitchen, the coconut milk and curry leaf flavored Southern specialties. There are so many versions that it boggles the mind. Mutton, beef, pork - they are regional but chicken - it really is universal.

I think for me the best chicken curry that I have had is my grandfather's chicken curry. My sister and me, we go over for Sunday lunches at my grandfather's place where there would be an entire kadhai full of chicken curry with hot dal and gobi pakoras cooked by my grandmother. We would have big thalis full of steamed rice, pakoras, dal, curry with salad and raita. My grandmother would be sitting right next to the both of us making sure that we would have second  helpings and possible thirds if we didnt protest on account of extremely distended stomach.
This post has come after a long series of kitchen trials. Chicken curry is not something that you get right on the first time. Not to discourage you, but to cook chicken to perfection takes a lot of practice. And that is what the author was involved in. Trying to hit upon the recipe that becomes a personal signature. And perhaps she has found it. For this recipe, make sure you get the spice paste right and follow the steps exactly as specified in the post. After that, you will be an expert on making chicken curry.

Marinating Chicken:
1kg boneless chicken legs
1 tub of yoghurt
1tbsp salt
1tbsp red chili powder
1tbsp turmeric.
Bring chicken to room temperature. Make incisions with a knife. This will help the marinate soak into the chicken.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the chicken and then mix everything together. Marinate for at least three hours.
Making spice paste:
Grind 3 medium onions, 9 cloves of garlic, 2 inch of ginger, 5 green chillies and a handful of mint leaves with 2 tbsp of water into a smooth paste.

Making the Curry:
5tbsp oil
1tsp cumin powder
3 cardamon smashed
6 cloves
1 bay leaf
2tbsp red chili powder
2tbsp coriander powder
2tbsp cumin powder
2tbsp kitchen king powder
2tbsp garam masala
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish
Heat oil. Splutter cumin, cardamom, cloves and bay. As the aromas release add the spice paste. If the paste needs more oil then add a little more. It takes around fifteen minutes to cook the paste. But go for twenty if you are not sure.
Add the marinated chicken along with the spice powders and the salt. Simmer the chicken for twenty minutes until all the masala is cooked out and the chicken is cooked through. Adjust your seasoning and spices. If the masala is sticking then add a little water. Check if the chicken is cooked all the way through. If the curry needs cook for a few minutes more. Add coriander leaves and mix it all the way through.

No comments:

Post a Comment