How to Cook Indian (89 page)

3 medium red onions, chopped

2 or 3 green chiles, stemmed and crushed

½ cup (90 grams) grated
khoya/mawa
(solid unsweetened condensed milk; page 37)

20 pistachios, blanched and slivered (see Note page 40)

¼ cup (50 ml) heavy cream

Dash of rosewater

2 sheets of
chandi ka varq
(edible silver foil; see page 188)

1. Cut 15 of the almonds into slivers and set aside. Put the remaining 15 almonds in a spice grinder, grind to a smooth paste, and set aside in a small bowl.

2. Soak the melon seeds in ½ cup warm water for 15 minutes. Drain, put them in a spice grinder, and grind to a fine paste. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the ginger paste, garlic paste, chicken, yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the white pepper, cardamom, and ½ teaspoon of the rose petals. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.

4. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Sauté the onions for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent.

5. Add the chiles and
khoya,
and sauté for 10 minutes.

6. Add the melon-seed paste and the almond paste, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring continuously, over medium heat.

7. Add the chicken and sauté for 3 minutes over high heat. Add ¾ cup (150 ml) water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

8. Add half of the slivered almonds and pistachios and ½ teaspoon of the rose petals, and stir. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

9. Add the cream and rosewater, and stir well.

10. Place the chicken pieces on a serving plate and spoon the sauce over them. Cover with the silver
varq
and garnish with the remaining rose petals and almond and pistachio slivers. Serve immediately.

Chettinadu Kozhi Sambhar

Spicy chicken with
dal

This is one of the curries that we enjoy at home with a bowl of brown rice, especially on a lazy Sunday. The kids get their chicken and my wife, Alyona, is satisfied that she has given them healthy lentils.

Serves 4.

1 (2-pound/1 kg) chicken, skinned and cut into 12 pieces

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon table salt

¼ cup
toor dal/arhar dal
(split pigeon peas)

6 tablespoons (90 ml) sesame oil

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon
chana dal
(split Bengal gram)

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger

8 cloves garlic

8 dried red chiles, stemmed

4 green chiles, stemmed

2 star anise

4 whole cloves

2-inch (5-cm) cinnamon stick

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

2 medium red onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Trim the excess fat from the chicken and put the pieces in a large bowl.

2. Add the turmeric and salt, and stir well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 3 hours.

3. Put the
toor dal
in a bowl, wash in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 1 cup (200 ml) water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the
dal
in a colander.

4. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cups (400 ml) water and the soaked dal. When the water begins to boil, lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the
dal
is soft and fully cooked. Transfer the
dal
and cooking water to a bowl, and set aside.

5. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the coriander, peppercorns,
chana dal,
ginger, garlic, 6 of the red chiles, and the green chiles, and sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and let cool.

6. Transfer to a mini food processor with ¼ cup (50 ml) water, and process to a paste. Set aside.

7. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons sesame oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, remaining 2 red chiles, and the curry leaves, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

8. When the spices begin to change color and are fragrant, add the onions and fry until lightly browned. Add the marinated chicken pieces and stir again. Add the ground paste and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the chicken.

9. Add the tamarind pulp and stir. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

10. Add the cooked
dal
and cooking water, and cook until the chicken and
dal
combine well and the mixture thickens to a curry consistency.

11. Transfer the curry to a serving dish. Garnish with the cilantro and serve hot.

Chicken Curry

Chicken cooked in a simple onion-tomato masala

You will find this curry at practically all the
dhabas
(roadside eateries) in North India. Economical and tasty, this dish gives you a taste of simple Punjabi home cooking. Serve it with steamed rice,
parathas
(page 18), or
naan
(page 20).

Serves 4.

1 (1¾-pound/800-gram) chicken, skinned and cut into 12 pieces

¼ cup (50 ml) vegetable oil

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

4 or 5 cloves

4 or 5 green cardamom pods

4 medium red onions, grated

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 tablespoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1½ tablespoons ground coriander

1½ teaspoons ground roasted cumin (page 32)

1 teaspoon red chile powder

4 medium tomatoes, puréed

1½ teaspoons table salt

1 teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. Trim the excess fat from the chicken and put the pieces in a large bowl.

2. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, and sauté for 1 minute. When the spices change color and are fragrant, add the onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously.

3. Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chile powder. Stir well.

4. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until the oil comes to the top.

5. Add the chicken and salt, and stir. Increase the heat to high and sauté for 5 minutes or until the chicken pieces are well coated with the sauce. Add 1½ cups (300 ml) water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

6. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the
garam masala
and garnish with the cilantro. Serve hot.

Chicken Kandhari Kofta

Ground-chicken balls in a pomegranate gravy

I have made this recipe for as long as I can remember and it is always a hit. An authentic Mughlai preparation, it sells like hotcakes in most good restaurants in New Delhi. The pomegranate syrup is the life and soul of the gravy. Serve with
naan
(page 20) or
parathas
(page 18).

Serves 4.

8 ounces (250 grams) ground chicken

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoons table salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¾ cup (190 grams) boiled-onion paste (page 11)

½ tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

½ tablespoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon red chile powder

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2/3 cup (150 grams) cashew paste (page 12)

½ cup (120 grams) tomato purée

½ teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

½ cup (100 ml) heavy cream

1. Put the chicken in a medium bowl, add the cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and stir thoroughly. Divide into 8 equal portions and shape the mixture into balls. Place them on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the onion paste and sauté for 15 minutes or until light golden. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chile powder and coriander, and sauté for 3 minutes.

3. Dilute the cashew paste in ¼ cup (50 ml) water and add it to the pan along with the tomato purée. Sauté over high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add ½ cup water and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Add the chicken balls and cook for 10 minutes. Give it a gentle stir, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the
garam masala
and pomegranate molasses. Stir gently and check for seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and remove from the heat.

5. Transfer the curry to a serving dish and serve hot.

Chicken Xacuti

Chicken in a thick, spicy gravy

Rui Madre, a chef from Goa, taught me to make this extremely popular dish while I was in Varanasi. Rui now manages a hotel in Goa, and every time I visit, no matter where I am staying, I insist that he cook it for me. Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

1 (1¾-pound/800-gram) chicken, skin removed, cut into 12 pieces on the bone