Mughlai Chicken
next time...also garnish with some cilantro or parsley to make the plate a little nicer looking.
Recipe by Nigella Lawson, see Scott's edits below
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp dried chili flakes
4 TB ground almonds
½ cup water
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 pounds boned chicken thighs, each cut into 2
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 tsp garam masala
1 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
¾ cup flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish
Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili into a food processor, or into a mortar and pestle, and blend to a paste. Add the ground almonds and water and then blend again, set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chicken pieces - in batches so they fry rather than stew - and cook them just long enough to seal on both sides, then remove to a dish.
Add the spices and turn them in the oil. Add the onions and cook them until softened and lightly browned, but keep the heat gentle and stir frequently, to avoid sticking. Pour in the blended paste, and cook everything until it begins to colour. Add the yogurt, half a cup at a time stirring it in to make a sauce, then stir in the stock, cream, and sultanas.
Put the browned chicken back into the pan, along with any juices that have collected under them, and sprinkle over the garam masala, sugar, and salt. Cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, testing to make sure the meat is cooked through.
It's at this stage, that I like to take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool before reheating the next day.
So either now, or when you've reheated it, pour into a serving dish and scatter with the toasted flaked almonds.
NOTES:
I used boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders. They are fine for this. You don't get as much flavor as you do from the thighs. That's ok, there's plenty of flavor from all the spices and herbs. And I just used a pound and a half, not three pounds.
I bought a packed of slivered almonds and ground them to a powder in the food processor. Great fun. Pulse the machine, so they don't run too long. I'm guessing that like peanuts they could turn to a paste/butter???
I forgot the cardamom. Bummer.
I used 2 TB of oil, not 1/4 cup!
My store does not stock Greek yogurt. I bought plain yogurt and dumped it into a cheese cloth lined strainer and let it sit for an hour. Probably 1/4 cup of liquid ran out, leaving a nice dense yogurt.
I only used about 1 teaspoon of sugar.
For the process, I followed the directions and all seemed to be well. I didn't make the dish a day in advance, but I did have it as leftovers. Served over rice, it doesn't hold up well over night. But I'm sure if it is kept separate, it will be much better.
After you add the cream and stock, the dish is really soupy and running. By simmering for 20 minutes, it thickens up to a great consistency! Stir often though, to avoid burning and scorching.
Overall, this is an easy recipe. There are multiple steps, but taking your time and doing each step, one at a time, will give you a great final dish worthy of an International dinner party.
MORE PICTURES LATER
next time...also garnish with some cilantro or parsley to make the plate a little nicer looking.
Recipe by Nigella Lawson, see Scott's edits below
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp dried chili flakes
4 TB ground almonds
½ cup water
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 pounds boned chicken thighs, each cut into 2
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 tsp garam masala
1 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
¾ cup flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish
Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili into a food processor, or into a mortar and pestle, and blend to a paste. Add the ground almonds and water and then blend again, set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chicken pieces - in batches so they fry rather than stew - and cook them just long enough to seal on both sides, then remove to a dish.
Add the spices and turn them in the oil. Add the onions and cook them until softened and lightly browned, but keep the heat gentle and stir frequently, to avoid sticking. Pour in the blended paste, and cook everything until it begins to colour. Add the yogurt, half a cup at a time stirring it in to make a sauce, then stir in the stock, cream, and sultanas.
Put the browned chicken back into the pan, along with any juices that have collected under them, and sprinkle over the garam masala, sugar, and salt. Cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, testing to make sure the meat is cooked through.
It's at this stage, that I like to take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool before reheating the next day.
So either now, or when you've reheated it, pour into a serving dish and scatter with the toasted flaked almonds.
NOTES:
I used boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders. They are fine for this. You don't get as much flavor as you do from the thighs. That's ok, there's plenty of flavor from all the spices and herbs. And I just used a pound and a half, not three pounds.
I bought a packed of slivered almonds and ground them to a powder in the food processor. Great fun. Pulse the machine, so they don't run too long. I'm guessing that like peanuts they could turn to a paste/butter???
I forgot the cardamom. Bummer.
I used 2 TB of oil, not 1/4 cup!
My store does not stock Greek yogurt. I bought plain yogurt and dumped it into a cheese cloth lined strainer and let it sit for an hour. Probably 1/4 cup of liquid ran out, leaving a nice dense yogurt.
I only used about 1 teaspoon of sugar.
For the process, I followed the directions and all seemed to be well. I didn't make the dish a day in advance, but I did have it as leftovers. Served over rice, it doesn't hold up well over night. But I'm sure if it is kept separate, it will be much better.
After you add the cream and stock, the dish is really soupy and running. By simmering for 20 minutes, it thickens up to a great consistency! Stir often though, to avoid burning and scorching.
Overall, this is an easy recipe. There are multiple steps, but taking your time and doing each step, one at a time, will give you a great final dish worthy of an International dinner party.
MORE PICTURES LATER
2 comments:
I know it doesn't LOOK pretty, but it tasted good.
Recipe will still be on it's way, but...although plenty of great flavor, the leftovers don't really hold up, especially if you pair it with rice in a little gladware...
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