Recipe Dev: 'Chicken Tikka Masala'

 

Food from the Indian Subcontinent has wandered all over the world with speed and efficiency since the days of the Raj. While it has fallen into some of the stereotypes and traps of, say, takeout Chinese, it manages to keep a fairly strong semblance of its identity while being simplified or streamlined for the more casual diner.

The subtleties are, to some degree, lost in translation. The most comprehensive Indian cookbook I've ever read sometimes feels like it has more ingredients than recipes- and it's got about a thousand recipes! But despite the tendency to tone down the complexities, some underlying principles remain. 

One being that it's a regional cuisine more suited towards those of a vegetarian or sometimes vegan bent, and so a bit more malleable accommodating those somewhat common dietary restrictions. 

Another being that the quantity of vegetable matter involved is often quite robust without being obvious, so for those times when one must sneak nutrition into a troublesome child or picky eater's meal, this region excels better than most.

Lastly, there's one I consider extremely important for both restaurant and home kitchens. In defiance of some relevant cultural norms, Indian food tends to be both very friendly to large-batch cooking and very well suited for leftovers.

I could go into much more detail, but this post is for the recipe. It's not complicated- the hardest things to find might be the curry leaves, and you can leave those out if need be. The spices might seem numerous, but all of them can be found at a conventional Western supermarket, along with all the other ingredients. Some measurements are a little vague, to be adjusted to personal taste and compensate for product variability. 

I've shared this one on an individual basis before, and that helped another chef of my acquaintance land a job that boosted his career prospects big-time. Now all of you get to try it! It serves 4 as an entree.

Ingredients-

8 Boneless / Skinless chicken thighs (about 1kg, a bit over 2lbs)
Salt & Pepper
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½ cup oil or ghee (if oil, you'll need ¼ cup each oil and unsalted butter)
2 large onions, diced fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
Ginger, the size of 4 fingers, peeled and minced
1 serrano chile, halved vertically
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 small stick cinnamon
2 stalks curry leaves
Juice of half a lemon or lime

Spice blend- All spices here are finely ground unless otherwise specified.

2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Madras Curry Powder
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp green cardamom
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp clove
¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Equipment- Wide pot or tall-sided skillet, wide enough to fit all the chicken in a single layer.

Method-

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a flat-bottomed pot or flat-sided skillet with a lid, heat half the ghee (or the oil), and brown the chicken aggressively, then remove. Any other fat is to be used at your discretion.

If the pan has browned (but not burnt) bits on the bottom once the chicken is browned, add the onions to the pan and cook on medium-high with a 3-finger pinch of salt, scraping to make sure all the fond comes off the pan without burning. Adding ¼ cup of water to steam everything off the pan may help as well.

After 2-3 minutes reduce to medium-low, and cook for 8-10 more, until the onions are soft and beginning to color.

While the onions are cooking, cut each chicken thigh into 3-4 pieces, depending on size.

Once the onions are jammy, turn the heat to high and add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and cinnamon stick.

Cook for 2-3 minutes longer, stirring constantly, adding more fat if needed. Adjust seasoning.

Once the chiles have bloomed and blistered a little, reduce the heat to very low.

Add the spice blend and stir rapidly for 5-10 seconds to bloom the spices, then add the crushed tomatoes, stirring to incorporate and keep the spices from scorching. Rinse the can with 1 cup of water and add that too. Taste.

Return the chicken to the pan, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Add the cream and simmer ~10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, taste for seasoning, add the curry leaves, and adjust with lemon or lime juice as needed to brighten.

Serve with rice, naan, or whatever. Watch out for the chiles and the cinnamon stick.

Awoo^^