How to Cook Indian (41 page)

5. Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C.

6. String the chicken cubes, with the marinade, onto long, thin skewers. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes, turning frequently and basting the chicken with the melted butter.

7. Baste with butter again and bake for 1 minute more.

8. Slide the chicken cubes off the skewers onto a bed of rice. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and
chaat masala
and cover with the
chandi ka varq.
Serve immediately.

Chettinaad Fried Chicken

Spicy chicken with curry leaves

Chettinaad cuisine originates in the deep southern region of Tamil Nadu. It has a strong character: Freshly ground spices like pepper and chiles mingle with garlic and ginger and liberal amounts of oil. Deeply flavored with curry leaves, this fried chicken needs some marinating time, so plan ahead. And I do recommend that you adjust the spice levels to your taste.

Serves 4.

1 (2-pound/1-kg) whole bone-in chicken

2 medium red onions, roughly chopped

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

4 green chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped

6 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons rice flour

1½ teaspoons table salt

15 fresh curry leaves, finely shredded

1 cup (200 ml) vegetable oil

1. Split the chicken through the backbone and separate the breast into two equal halves. Make three or four ½-inch-deep (1-cm-deep) cuts on the breast and leg pieces.

2. Put the onions, ginger, garlic, green chiles, and red chiles in a food processor with 3 tablespoons water, and process to a smooth paste. Transfer to a deep bowl and stir in the turmeric, lemon juice, rice flour, and salt.

3. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat them liberally with the paste. Add the curry leaves and stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to marinate. Remove from the refrigerator and remove the chicken pieces from the marinade. Reserve the marinade.

4. Place a deep nonstick wok over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, add the chicken and increase the heat to high. Sauté for 2 minutes on both sides. This helps to seal in the juices. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning over and basting frequently with the reserved marinade. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons water if the chicken starts drying out and the marinade is all used up.

5. Cook over high heat for 6 to 7 minutes, so that the surface of the chicken is crisp and golden brown.

6. Cut into smaller pieces and serve immediately.

Chicken 65

A crisp and spicy chicken appetizer

There are many anecdotes about the origin of this dish’s name, but nobody really knows for sure how it came to be coined. In any case, the name stuck, and the dish is one of the most popular chicken appetizers in Andhra Pradesh. Most places serve bone-in chicken, but I feel boneless chicken makes it more enjoyable.

Serves 4.

14 ounces (400 grams) boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1½-inch (4-cm) pieces

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 tablespoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon table salt

1 large egg, whisked

1 quart (800 ml) plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup (125 grams) plain yogurt

2 tablespoons red chile paste (see Note page 13)

1 teaspoon
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds

4 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

20 to 15 fresh curry leaves

¼ cup (30 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

1. Put the chicken in a bowl. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, pepper, salt, and egg, and combine well. Add ½ tablespoon water and combine well.

2. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the 1 quart (800 ml) oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium and add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon, for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

3. Place the yogurt, chile paste, and flour in a bowl and whisk well.

4. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the remaing 2 tablespoons oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds, chiles, and curry leaves. When the seeds sputter, add the yogurt mixture and stir well. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until all the excess moisture evaporates.

6. Add the coconut and toss well. Serve hot.

Chicken Cafreal

Chicken marinated in a green masala and cooked until dry

In my opinion, if there is a dish that can take tandoori chicken head-on, it is chicken
cafreal,
a dry dish from Goa.

Serves 4.

1 (2-pound/1-kg) whole bone-in chicken

3 tablespoons plus 2 cups (400 ml) vegetable oil

2 medium red onions, sliced

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 whole cloves

3 green cardamom pods

8 whole black peppercorns

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon white poppy seeds

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

4 green chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped

2/3 cup (40 grams) chopped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp

1½ teaspoons table salt

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1. Remove the skin from the chicken, trim off excess fat, and cut the chicken into 8 pieces. Make deep incisions in the flesh using a sharp knife. Put the pieces in a bowl.

2. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the 2 cups oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, add the onions and cook until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

3. Place a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Let it heat for 2 minutes, then add the coriander, cumin, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and poppy seeds, and dry-roast for 1½ minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

4. Transfer the cooled spices to a food processor. Add the ginger, garlic, chiles, cilantro, turmeric, tamarind pulp, and 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water, and process to a paste.

5. Transfer the paste to the bowl with the chicken pieces. Add the salt and stir well so that all the pieces are coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to marinate.

6. Place a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the 3 tablespoons oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the marinated chicken pieces and stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

7. Uncover and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes so that all the moisture evaporates and the
masala
coats the chicken pieces well.

8. Garnish with the onions and serve hot.

Chicken Kathi Roll

Spiced boneless chicken pieces rolled in
roomali rotis

Kolkata has the famous street food called
kathi
rolls, which are basically kebabs served rolled up in a flatbread spread with chutneys and a special
masala.
This is my home version, and it makes an ideal starter at a party when you serve it cut into bite-size pieces: Spear each piece with a toothpick to hold the roll together.

Roomali rotis,
named for their resemblance to a handkerchief
(roomal)
, are available at most Indian grocery stores. If you cannot find them, you can use soft flour tortillas or regular Indian
rotis
as a substitute.

Makes 4 rolls.

7 ounces (200 grams) boneless chicken, cut into thin strips

1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

4 green chiles, stemmed and crushed

½ teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

2 medium red onions, sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips

4 frozen
roomali rotis

¼ cup (60 grams)
pudina aur dhaniya
chutney (mint-and-cilantro chutney; page 22)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put the chicken in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, chile powder, garlic paste, ginger paste,
garam masala,
green chiles, and salt, and stir well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour to marinate.

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 marinated chicken and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cumin and stir well. Divide into 4 portions.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the onions and carrot. Divide into 4 portions and set aside.

4. Put the frozen
roomali rotis
in a microwave oven and cook on high for 1 minute. Lay them out on a work surface. Spread 1 tablespoon of the chutney over each, arrange 1 portion of the cooked chicken in the center lengthwise, and sprinkle with ½ tablespoon cilantro. Next sprinkle with a portion of the onion-carrot mixture.

5. Fold one side of the
roti
over the filling, then fold the other side over it. Beginning from one end, roll up tightly. Repeat with the remaining
roti
and filling, and serve immediately.