The marinade for this recipe is based on the marinade for the Chicken Ruby recipe from the Dishoom cookbook, and the gravy recipe is my own concoction.
Serves: 4 if used as the only dish, 8 if used alongside side dishes.
- \(1 \! \text{ kg}\) of chicken, chopped into large pieces (\(4 \! \text{ cm}\) cubes, each piece should be more than one mouthful).
- If using thighs, I usually cut them into two (three if the thigh is particularly large).
- If using breast, I usually cut each one into four to six pieces.
- \(2 \! \text{ cm}\) cube of ginger, roughly chopped.
- \(5\) cloves of garlic, peeled.
- \(2 \! \text{ tsp}\) salt.
- \(1.5 \! \text{ tsp}\) deggi mirch.
- If you can't find deggi mirch, substitute \(1.5 \! \text{ tsp}\) paprika and \(0.25 \! \text{ tsp}\) hot chilli powder.
- \(2 \! \text{ tsp}\) ground cumin.
- \(0.75 \! \text{ tsp}\) garam masala.
- Juice of \(0.5\) limes.
- \(1 \! \text{ tbsp}\) cooking oil.
- \(100 \! \text{ g}\) Greek yoghurt.
- \(2 \! \text{ tbsp}\) cooking oil.
- \(6\) cardamom pods.
- \(1\) medium cinnamon stick.
- \(3\) medium onions, roughly chopped.
- \(4\) cloves of garlic, crushed slightly under the flat edge of a knife and peeled (don't forget to cut the root off).
- \(2 \! \text{ cm}\) cube of ginger, roughly chopped.
- \(400 \! \text{ g}\) tomatoes, the smaller the better.
- If using small tomatoes (e.g. cherry tomatoes), leave them whole.
- If using medium tomatoes, cut them into quarters.
- If using large tomatoes, cut the tomato in half then cut each half into quarters.
- \(1 \! \text{ tsp}\) salt.
- \(1 \! \text{ tsp}\) deggi mirch.
- \(0.5 \! \text{ tsp}\) ground coriander.
- At least \(3 \! \text{ hrs}\) (or up to \(24 \! \text{ hrs}\)) prior to cooking blend all the marinade ingredients together and mix in with the chicken[1]
.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan (or other suitable pan for cooking on the hob) on a medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is up to temperature, add the cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks. Fry for \(1 \! \text{ minute}\).
- Add the onions, garlic, and ginger and fry for \(5\) - \(10 \! \text{ minutes}\) until the onions start to brown.
- Add the tomatoes and fry for a further \(3 \! \text{ minutes}\).
- Mix in the salt, deggi mirch, and coriander.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and put a lid on the pan. Cook for at least \(30 \! \text{ minutes}\), stirring every \(5 \! \text{ minutes}\) or so.
- Meanwhile place the chicken on a grill pan. Do not scrape off the marinade, as this is what will give the chicken a nice crispy texture.
- Cook the chicken under a medium-hot grill.
- Cook it on one side until most of it is starting to brown, and some of it is starting to go black.
- Flip the chicken over and cook for another \(5\) - \(10 \! \text{ minutes}\).
- Once cooked, blend the gravy and return it to the pan on a low heat. If it's too thick, add water (not too quickly, just a tablespoon or two at a time).
- Add the chicken to the gravy.
- Scrape out the remaining marinade from whatever container you stored it in and mix it in with the gravy and chicken.
- If the gravy is too thick, mix in \(50 \! \text{ ml}\) water. Repeat until desired consistency is achieved.
Footnotes
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If you want to do this more than \(24 \! \text{ hrs}\) in advance, make sure you use fresh chicken and freeze it in the marinade (ensure you leave time to let it defrost).