1,000 Indian Recipes (243 page)

3.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the fenugreek leaves, garam masala, paprika, nutmeg, and mace, stirring, about 30 seconds, then mix the spices and oil into the bowl with the yogurt mixture.

4.
Remove
¹
⁄
₄
cup of the marinade to a bowl and cover and refrigerate for the gravy. Divide the remaining marinade into 3 portions. Rub one portion under the loosened turkey skin and rub the second portion over the skin and inside the cavity. Reserve the remaining portion in the refrigerator for basting the turkey as it cooks. Fold the wings across the back and tie them together with heavy kitchen string, then tie the ends of the drumsticks together and insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, making sure it does not touch the bone. Cover the turkey securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 36 hours.

5.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan. Baste once with the reserved marinade and roast, uncovered, basting every 35 to 45 minutes until the turkey is well-browned and a meat thermometer reads 180°F, 4
¹
⁄
₂
to 5 hours. (If the skin browns too fast, cover it with a piece of oil-basted muslin or tent loosely with heavy-duty aluminum foil.) Remove from the oven and allow the turkey to stand about 15 minutes before carving.

6.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour the pan juices through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl and then, with a spoon, skim off all the extra fat that floats to the top. Put about 2 tablespoons of the fat into a medium nonstick saucepan.

7.
Add about 1 cup chicken broth to the roasting pan and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, stirring and scraping any browned bits. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the pan juices.

8.
Mix the flour into the reserved turkey fat and cook, stirring, over medium heat until very fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes. Mix in the reserved marinade and cook until it is completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the gravy is thick, about 5 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and serve with the turkey.

Chicken Dishes with Greens

Spicy Green Masala Chicken

Hara Masala Murgh

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Made with my Los Angeles friend Naina Kapadia's recipe for fresh Gujarati
haramasala
paste (a paste made with ginger, garlic, and green chile peppers), and with lots of cilantro and mint, this intensely spicy chicken is best served with steamed
basmati
rice and a tall glass of chilled beer to soothe a fiery palate.

3 tablespoons
Gujarati Green Paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground oregano

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 to 2
¹
⁄
₂
pounds skinless chicken thighs, drumsticks, or quartered breasts

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1.
Prepare the hara masala paste. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onions until barely golden, about 3 minutes. Add the hara masala paste and cook another minute.

2.
Mix in the cilantro, mint, coriander, oregano, garam masala, turmeric, and salt, and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the chicken and yogurt, and stir well to mix. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 to and up to 24 hours.

3.
Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over high heat the first 5 to 7 minutes and then over medium heat until the chicken is tender and the sauce thick, turn the pieces occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with black pepper and cilantro, and serve.

Traditional Indian Chicken with Spinach

Saag-Murgh

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Saag-murgh
, a dish popular in Indian restaurants, is generally made with small pieces of chicken that often get lost in a smooth purée of creamy spinach. This traditional home version, on the other hand, made with large pieces of bone-in chicken and chopped spinach, has more texture, is lower in fat, higher in nutrition, and really delicious.

3 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

1 (2
¹
⁄
₂
- to 3-pound) chicken, skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces (discard the back and wings)

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon ground dried fenugreek leaves

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground paprika

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 large bunches fresh spinach (12 to 14-ounces each), trimmed, washed, and coarsely chopped

¹
⁄
₄
cup milk, preferably lowfat

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then, place the chicken pieces in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, mint, fenugreek leaves, garam masala, paprika, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 and up to 24 hours.

2.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring, until well-browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the spinach, cover the pan and cook, stirring once or twice, until it wilts, about 5 minutes.

3.
Add the chicken and all the marinade and cook, stirring, over high heat the first 2 to 3 minutes and then over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender and the spinach clings to each piece, about 30 minutes. Add the milk and simmer another 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Chicken Tenders with Sautéed Spinach

Jaldi ka Saag-Murgh

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This marinated chicken dish, enhanced with garlicky chopped spinach, is not the standard restaurant-style, long-cooked
saag-murgh
. Instead, it is a quick and easy dish, for when you want flavors you love but don't have time to cook the old-fashioned way.

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds skinless boneless chicken tenders, tendons removed

5 to 7 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

4 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

¹
⁄
₂
cup fresh cilantro, including soft stems

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala, +
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large bunch fresh spinach (12 to 14 ounces), tough stems removed, washed, and finely chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges

1.
Place the chicken in a non-reactive bowl. In a food processor or blender, process together the ginger, whole garlic cloves, and cilantro until minced. Add the lime juice, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and salt, and process again until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the mixture. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 and up to 24 hours.

2.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the spinach, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir another 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

3.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and add the marinated chicken tenders, piece by piece (in 2 batches if necessary), making sure that each one lies flat and isn't crowded in the skillet. Cook until the bottoms are golden, about 4 minutes. Turn each piece over and cook until the other side is golden, about 3 minutes.

4.
Carefully mix in the spinach and any juices that may have accumulated in the bowl, and stir until all the juice evaporates, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.

5.
Add the tomato wedges to the skillet and cook, shaking the skillet, until tomatoes are slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the chicken platter as a garnish. Sprinkle the
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala on top and serve.

Hyderabadi Fenugreek Chicken

Hyderabad ka Methi Murgh

Makes 4 to 6 servings

You can make this simple dish, from my friend Yasmin AliKhan, with dried fenugreek leaves, but fresh ones make all the difference. When Yasmin told me I could use dried
methi
(fenugreek leaves), her purist mother loudly differed saying, "Neelam, use only fresh. Nothing else is good enough." So here it is—fresh fenugreek chicken. Fresh fenugreek leaves are available in Indian, Middle Eastern, and farmers' markets. (If you can't find fresh leaves, use
¹
⁄
₄
cup dried.)