As a late anniversary gift to ourselves, Tom and I decided to hire Alyssa of Culinary Craftwork to teach us how to cook some of our favorite Indian recipes. Alyssa is a knowledgeable and gifted chef and we had a great time learning to cook Indian food "like the pros". All the Indian dishes that follow are Alyssa's creations. We were surprised at how simple the recipes were because the food was absolutely delicious. Garlic and onion are crucial to all of these recipes and we learned that even when you think you the onions are golden, they need to cook just a little more.
Prep time: 15 mins + overnight to marinate
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ lb boneless chicken thighs
½ cup tandoori marinade
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 plump clove garlic, minced
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 ½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp cayenne powder
½ tsp crushed fennel seed
½ (6-oz can) tomato paste
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
½ cup heavy cream (or coconut milk)
1 tsp kosher salt, to taste
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
2-4 tbsp cool butter (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
The day before you are planning to make this dish, mix the
chicken with the pepper and tandoori marinade.
Let marinate overnight.
Heat the vegetable oil in a 4-qt pan. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and stir over
high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sliced chilies. Add the garam masala, cayenne and fennel
seed. Scrape the mixture into a blender; add tomato paste and chicken
broth. Blend until very smooth.
Pour mixture back into the pan, add cream and bring to a
gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer,
stirring often, until reduced to about 2 cups.
Meanwhile grill the chicken breasts until just-done. Let cool, then slice into strips or
cubes. Add the chicken to the sauce in
the pan.
Cut the butter into chucks and whisk into sauce till
blended. Season with salt and pepper to
taste, adding more garam masala if desired.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Serve with basmati rice.
