How to Cook Indian (95 page)

1. Clean the chicken, remove the skin, and cut into 16 pieces. Transfer to a bowl and rub the salt all over the chicken. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.

2. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cilantro for garnish. Place the remaining cilantro in a food processor with the coconut, ginger, garlic, chiles, and ¼ cup (50 ml) water, and process to a paste. Add this paste to the chicken and stir well to coat.

3. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cinnamon, black and green cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, and cumin, and sauté until fragrant. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes or until soft and translucent.

4. Add the chicken and sauté over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add 2 cups (400 ml) water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

5. Add the coconut milk and
garam masala.
Stir well.

6. Garnish with the reserved cilantro and serve hot.

Murgh Zafrani Do Pyaza

A saffron-flavored chicken curry loaded with onions

Saffron adds a depth to certain curries that cannot be identified at first bite. If you really want to understand how saffron affects this dish, try making it once without the saffron. Serve the curry with
parathas
(page 18).

Serves 4.

25 almonds, roasted

1 tablespoon
chironji/charoli
(melon seeds; page 587), roasted

1 tablespoon white poppy seeds, roasted

½ cup (100 ml) vegetable oil

2 medium red onions, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 tablespoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 2/3 pounds (850 grams) bone-in chicken, cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) pieces

1¼ teaspoons table salt

½ cup (125 grams) plain yogurt

3 cups (600 ml) chicken stock, (page 34)

½ teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

Generous pinch of saffron threads

1. Put the almonds, melon seeds, and poppy seeds in a spice grinder, and grind to a fine powder.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chile powder and turmeric, and stir well.

4. Add the chicken and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the salt and stir.

5. Add the yogurt and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground almond mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.

6. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

7. Add the
garam masala
and saffron, stir, and remove from the heat.

8. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Murtabak

Layered Indian griddle bread and spicy ground chicken

This is a masterful construction of thin
chapatis
(Indian griddle breads) and a saffron-flavored egg, cheese, and chicken mixture, a great example of the royal Nizami cuisine of Hyderabad. Treat it like a one-dish meal, as it is quite filling.

Serves 4.

For the
chapatis:

Scant 1 cup (120 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon table salt

For the filling:

6 large eggs

A few saffron threads

2 tablespoons warm milk, plus ½ cup (100 ml) milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium red onions, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon red chile powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

9 ounces (270 grams) ground chicken

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

About ½ cup (120 grams) ghee (page 37), for brushing the pans

1½ cups (150 grams) grated mild white cheese

¼ cup (15 grams) chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup (15 grams) chopped fresh mint

10 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

1. Make the
chapatis
: Put the
maida
in a large bowl. Add the oil and salt. Rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

2. Add ¼ cup (50 ml) water and knead to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 9 portions. Dust a work surface with a little flour and roll out each portion into a thin 8-inch round.

4. Place a nonstick griddle over medium heat and add a dough round. Cook, turning, until lightly browned on each side. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

5. Make the filling: Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add 2½ cups (500 ml) water, and bring to a boil. Add 5 of the eggs and boil for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and plunge the eggs into a bowl of cold water. Peel and chop the eggs and set aside in a bowl.

6. Beat the remaining egg in a bowl and set aside.

7. In a small bowl, soak the saffron in the 2 tablespoons warm milk.

8. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

9. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste, and sauté for 2 minutes or until the raw flavors disappear. Add the chile powder and turmeric, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

10. Add the chicken and salt, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring continuously. When the excess moisture has evaporated, add the
garam masala
and lemon juice. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Transfer to a food processor and process to a coarse paste.

11. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

12. Brush a round cake pan with a little ghee and line the bottom with 1
chapati.
Sprinkle with a little milk and top it with 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, a little chopped egg, grated cheese, cilantro, mint, and chiles. Brush with a little beaten egg. Cover with another
chapati
and repeat the layering again until you have used all of the dough rounds.

13. Gently brush the top with the saffron mixture and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and set.

14. Unmold onto a plate and cut into wedges.

15. Serve hot.

Naattu Kozhi Curry

Countryside chicken curry from Kerala

Kozhi
means “chicken,” and this is a slightly modified and updated version of a rural dish from Kerala in all its spicy, thick, saucy glory. It’s nice to mop up the sauce with
roti
(page 18). Use two Cornish game hens if you can’t find a young spring chicken.