A weeknight Indian dish -- at last!

Indian food, if properly prepared, has such a rich, complex flavor that I can't get enough of. I've taken several classes at The Cooks Warehouse on North Indian cooking, and all that I've tried at home has been delicious, BUT it takes a lot of prep work and a lot of cook time -- not ideal for a weeknight after a long day at work. So, I was very pleased when I found the following recipe for Sindhi Chicken Curry. It has all the complexity of a slow-cooked, time-consuming Indian chicken dish without the hour of prep work, three hours of marinating, two hours of slow cooking, etc. In fact, the whole thing took a little under an hour to prepare. Check it out:

Sindhi Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt -- room temp, stirred to a creamy consistency
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 Tablespoon ginger root, peeled and minced
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
4 teaspoons minced serrano chilies
12 large chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon coriander powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
28 oz diced tomatoes in liquid
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

*NOTE: I know this is a long ingredient list, however, once you have all of the spices in your spice cabinet it isn't too bad. I buy mine in bulk at the Dekalb Farmer's Market.

1. Stir yogurt and cornstarch together until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until beginning to color, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and saute onions until dark golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes longer.

The onions should look like this when you start:


They should look like this after caramelizing:


3. Stir in ginger, garlic, and chilies. Saute for two minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken and brown well, 6 to 8 minutes.



My pan was a little crowded, but I managed to get all the chicken thighs in!



Here they're starting to brown.



4. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper over top of chicken. Mix well, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

The spices before they are added:


And the chicken after they've been stirred in:



5. Add tomatoes, yogurt mixture, 1/2 cup cilantro, and salt. Mix well. Cover and bring to a boil.



6. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 25 minutes.

7. Turn off heat. Stir in garam masala and 3 Tablespoons cilantro (or more to taste).



8. Garnish with remaining cilantro before serving. Serve with rice or any Indian bread.



As you can see, I served it atop basmati rice. I was very pleased with the result. It had a little heat, but that was cut by the yogurt. A few cashews or slivered almonds on top might liven up the texture, but it was very good as it was. AND totally do-able on a weeknight! (That's my favorite part -- can you tell?)

And now, a couple of notes:

It is important that the yogurt be at room temperature. If it is cold it has a better chance of curdling when it hits the hot pan. Just pull it out of the fridge when you start making the dish, and it should be ready by the time you need to add it. Removing it from the yogurt container and placing it near the warm stove should help speed up the process.

If you double the recipe, do not double the turmeric. It will make the dish too bitter if any more is added. (As a general rule, the amount of turmeric used should never be increased when doubling recipes.)

I enjoy eating the chicken thighs with the bone in, but some people find this to be too messy. There's no reason why you can't use boneless chicken thighs (or even chicken breasts, though they won't have the same depth of flavor) if you want a more fork-ready dinner.

Get ready for leftovers! This recipe makes a ton of food!

Pizza and North Indian Butter Chicken -- what a lunch!

Charlie and I just made such a fantastic lunch, and I'm still buzzing from it.  We made a quick run to the Dekalb Farmer's Market this morning to pick up groceries for the weekend, and while we were there we decided to grab a pizza crust and some tomato sauce.  Now, I (we) usually try to make most everything that we eat.  BUT, the pizza crust and the tomato sauce were so beautiful and fresh (made today at the farmers market with all whole foods -- no preservatives) that I just thought oh, what the hell, and we threw them in the cart.  

We had three raw chicken thighs in the refrigerator so Charlie heated up a cast-iron pan (on the stove), sprinkled the chicken with kosher salt and cracked pepper, and seared the thighs for about 5 minutes on each side.  Then the pan went into the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 more minutes.  As the chicken cooked I topped the pizza crust with the spicy tomato sauce (full of basil, rosemary, onions, and the like), tossed on some mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and minced garlic.  We then tore some of the chicken into bite-sized pieces and placed that on top.  We shredded the remaining chicken and tossed it into a small baking dish with some leftover Indian Butter Sauce that I made a few days ago.  Everything went into the oven for ten minutes, which is just long enough to split a cold beer, and lunch was ready.  Delicious!

What a quick, easy, and thoroughly satisfying lunch.  As we enjoyed the pizza and the chicken we discussed keeping homemade pizza dough on hand.  It's so simple to make, but you do have to plan ahead as it takes some time.  The New York Times recently ran a fabulous article on making your own pizza, and now it's all I want to eat!   I'm going to get to work on that, and we're having a pizza party soon. 

This North Indian Butter Sauce is so flavorful and keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.  It takes a bit of time to make, but it's definitely worth it.  Charlie says it tastes like something from a good restaurant, and I agree.  It also smells terrific as it simmers on the stove.  Try it on chicken, fish, or eggplant.  It's super great on tandoori chicken.

North Indian Butter Sauce 

ingredients:

1/4 lb butter (1 stick) plus 2 Tbsp

5 Tbsp canola oil

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp ginger and garlic paste

10 oz tomato puree

2 tsp ground cardamom powder 

4 Tbsp ground cashew nuts made to a fine paste

1 cup chicken broth

salt 

2 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper plus 1/2 tsp

2 - 3 tsp salt (to taste)

1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream or half and half 

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

pinch of tandoori masala

2 Tbsp fenugreek leaves

Heat butter and oil together in a wok, add a bay leaf, stir for a few seconds, and add the ginger and garlic paste.  Cook until most of the liquid evaporates.

Add the tomato puree and the cardamom.  Let it cook until the puree dries and the fat separates.  Add the cashew paste and stir for a few seconds.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Salt to taste.  Cover and cook for 10 to 15 uminutes or until the masala turns a bright red color.  Add milk and cream, continuing to stir, then add the garam masala and a pinch of tandoori masala.

In a separate pan make a tempering by heating 2 Tbsp butter then adding the fenugreek leaves and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.  Cook for 30 seconds then add to the sauce.  Pour the sauce over chicken, fish, or eggplant, and serve warm with naan.