Chicken Curries

[Suvir Saran]

Is there a favorite Indian Chicken Curry you have?

What makes is special for you?

Where do you find it?

Do you cook it at home ever?

Where did you get the recipe from?

[Jaymes]

Is there a favorite Indian Chicken Curry you have?

What makes is special for you?

Where do you find it?

Do you cook it at home ever?

Where did you get the recipe from?

When I was a young, single girl, I lived in Hong Kong. My roommate was a secretary with one of the big British shipping companies, the name of which I have forgotten (unbelievably to me - it was such a famous, revered name and so instrumental in the founding of Hong Kong - I never thought I could forget it). She had been reared in India and made this fabulous curry one night for a dinner party. She told me it had been the specialty of the Indian cook in her home when she was growing up.

Western women in Hong Kong in those days had very lively social lives, and ours were fabulous. We dated many of the young men who worked for that shipping company. The company kept luxurious flats (complete with quarters housing entire families of servants) in the most chic part of Victoria for these young single Brits who had "come out to the colonies."

On this particular night, we were entertaining our current beaux at our place. My roommate started the night before, stewing up a whole chicken, and cutting up items to use for the condiments.

It is her recipe I use and, while I am certain it would impress none of the expert Indian cooks on eGullet, it suits me well. I no longer start with the whole chicken; but rather, deboned chicken breasts. She made her own curry powder; I do not. But I do add 1 TBL 100% New Mexico red chile powder to considerably punch it up.

The recipe also calls for coconut milk that I make by scalding whole milk in a pan of shredded coconut (an unsurprising ingredient that many recipes call for) and a jar of duck sauce (that I have not seen in other recipes).

I kind of go overboard on the condiments. I just enjoy the looks on the faces of my guests when they see such a complicated, lavish and grand display. They're much too agog to say, "But I don't LIKE curry."

[Toby]

Suvir, what's your favorite chicken curry? How do you prepare it?

Jaymes, could the company have been Jardinne (spelling?)?

[Jaymes]

Jaymes, could the company have been Jardinne (spelling?)?

I think it was not one word...

I believe it was "something and something," although it's been so long ago....who knows. That ain't the only thing I've forgotten.

By far.

But it is annoying. I think it was the company started by the character in that novel about the founding of Hong Kong. The one that talked about the "hairy Western whores." What was the name of that book... Chow Fan? No, that's the rice.

Anyway the book was about a Brit who went out to Hong Kong in the early days and started a shipping company and fell in love with a beautiful Chinese and supposedly it was based on fact.

Any of this sound familiar?

[Toby]

Taipan, by the guy who wrote Shogun?

[Jaymes]

Taipan, by the guy who wrote Shogun?

Yeah - THAT's it. I think someone told me that it was based on the founder of that shipping company those sweet young British lads worked for.

Boy were those good times.

PS - You know, the more I think about it, it could have been Jardines. Yep, could have been.

[Toby]

Jaymes, I've looked it up -- the full name of the company was Jardine, Matheson & Company, Ltd. (There's also another one called Matheson & Company.) Unfortunately, their early history involved opium dealing and operated somewhat like Enron. It got out of the drug business over 100 years ago and is still headquarted in Hong Kong and does business with China.

As to chicken curry, for some reason I've never cooked an Indian curry. I've made Thai and Burmese chicken curries and Mexican moles, and of course, Jamaican curry goat and curry chicken, which I would imagine were influenced by all the people from India who settled in the Caribbean region and then modified using local spices and peppers. It's interesting that all of these dishes are based on a blending of fragrant and hot spices/peppers -- the Southeast Asian curries are, of course, influenced by India, but moles, I think, were probably indigenous to the region before the arrival of the Spanish? I'm not very fond of Vietnamese chicken curry -- as I've tasted it in the U.S. it seems to be similar to what the French do -- add curry powder; none of the thoughtful blending and pounding to give depth.

[Jaymes]

Jaymes, I've looked it up -- the full name of the company was Jardine, Matheson & Company, Ltd.  (There's also another one called Matheson & Company.)  Unfortunately, their early history involved opium dealing and operated somewhat like Enron.  It got out of the drug business over 100 years ago and is still headquarted in Hong Kong and does business with China.

Aren't you just a sweetie? Golly - thanks! The opium business, eh? Those wild crazy Brits!

[oliva]

Here is the Lahori tomato-yoghurt masala chicken I make every week. Blitzing the base in the blender is what makes all the flavours really come together.

a few tablespoons corn oil

1/2 medium onion

3 garlic cloves

3-4 plum tomatoes, skins removed

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2-3 thai bird chillies coarsely chopped

pinch turmeric (haldi)

salt to taste, perhaps a teaspoon

red chilli powder ( if you like it spicy add about half a teaspoon)

1 pound chicken breasts, bone on, skin off, each breast cut into three pieces

a few tablespoons yoghurt, thinned with a few tablespoons water

fresh chopped coriander, a handful

some lemons, quartered for garnish and for squeezing on the curry and rice

Roughly chop the onions and garlic and saute in the oil untill they are fragrant and have taken on a nutty golden colour. Make sure you do not let them burn and become a dark brown, as this will permeate the whole curry and make it taste bitter.

Once the onions and garlic are golden, add chopped tomatoes, the tomato paste, the thai bird chillies, haldi, salt and red chilli powder. This is the "masala" or base.

Cook the masala on high heat, "stir-frying" constantly for about 3- 5 minutes. Add a few spoons of water if the 'masala' is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Now transfer this masala into a blender and blitz to a golden tomato coloured puree. Transfer back into the pot and add the chicken and the yoghurt mixture (tablespoon by tablespoon, as the yoghurt may curdle), and stir-fry on high heat for about 3-5 minutes. It is the addition of the yoghurt which makes the chicken tender.

Add 2 cups of water and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Let the chicken cook covered, for about 45 or till the oil floats free to the surface. If you want the gravy thicker, uncover the pot, turn the heat up to high and let some of the water evaporate. Some people like less gravy, it is all a matter of personal taste.

Before serving garnish with a handful of chopped fresh coriander, using the stems as well, as they are very fragrant and sweet. Also garnish with quartered lemon wedges for everyone to squeeze on the curry as they eat it with the best steamed Basmati rice. I use Zebra brand, which is I think imported from Pakistan.

Serve with a raita infused with strands of oven roasted eggplant, roasted cumin, chopped green chillies, salt and chopped fresh garlic.

[Jaymes]

Oliva - (pretty name)

That sounds just fabulous. I, for one, will attempt it soon. Thanks for taking the time to post it!

[Suvir Saran]

Oliva thanks for the recipe. It is the quintessential chicken curry one would find in North-Indian homes and those in Pakistan. What I like especially about your version is the relative lack of spices. And also that you call for only a few tablespoons of oil.

I had a similar chicken curry last week at a friend's house on the Upper West Side in NYC. They are visiting from India. Each year they spend the summer here and maintain a house for the duration. The cook prepared it and did so in your style. It was great. They love extra curry and enjoy eating it with rice. And I enjoyed doing that as well.

I often will marinate the chicken in some red chili powder, salt and black peppercorn for an hour or so before adding it to the pan. But when I do not have the luxury of time, I skip this step. The marinating makes a very subtle but definite change in the end result. It adds a very subtle but apparent taste to the meat. It makes the meat even more flavorful. Maybe you should give that a try sometime and see if it works the same way for you.

Are you of Pakistani lineage? I think I read you mentioning somewhere that you are from the Sub-Continent. It would be a treat for us all to learn more from you about the Pakistani preparations of meats. I firmly believe that meats are best cooked in Moslem homes. And actually my Pakistani friends have served me great meat preparations. They are infinitely more evolved in their taste. Maybe it is the people's love for meat? Maybe a long tradition of eating meats? Maybe something else? But they sure have taken the cooking of meats in the Indian tradition to a level not seen easily in other parts of India. I always yearn to learn more from people from that region. They have much to share with all of us.

Are there any other curries you have enjoyed from that part of the region? Any special tricks that one should know about cooking Chicken? What type of chicken do you look for? Do you use Cornish hens at all?

And again, thanks for the recipe. I will prepare it this coming week. I cannot wait to try your version. It seems wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

[Aurora]

Here is the Lahori tomato-yoghurt masala chicken I make every week. Blitzing the base in the blender is what makes all the flavours really come together.

This sounds really wonderful. Thank you for posting it. I am just beginning to learn how to prepare Indian dishes. How does this recipe differ from chicken tikka masala? I ask because that is my favorite dish; which I ate for the first time during a visit to Toronto. I am learning how to make that, too.

[Suvir Saran]

Chicken Tikka Masala has cream in it.

And the boneless chicken fillets are first grilled in the tandoor and then immersed in the tomato-cream sauce.

Maybe Vivin a frequent poster on the site can give us some feedback on this dish. His families restaurant in Delhi is considered by many to be the birthplace of butter chicken which is where Chicken Tikka Masala as we know it comes from. Or at least what chefs tell me in the US.

I made some on Friday. People around the world seem to love that preparation.

[Suvir Saran]

There are a few chicken curries I prepare on a regular basis. One is what Oliva posted already. It is the classic one prepared in many homes in the North. I only marinade the chicken for at least a half hour but other than that make it the same way.

I also make an Achaari Chicken (Chicken curry made with pickling spices), a Haree Taree Waali Murghi ( Chicken cooked in a cilantro and mint sauce), a Methi Murgh ( Chicken with fenugreek leaves), Taree Waalee Bharwaan Murghi ( Stuffed Chicken Breasts in a creamy sauce), Kaju Murgh ( Chicken in a cashewnut sauce), Murgh Zaafraani (Chicken in a saffron sauce), Badaami Murgh ( Chicken in an Almond sauce), Saag waalee murghi (Chicken in a spinach sauce), Khoobani aur Aloo Bukhare Kee Murghi ( Chicken cooked in sweet and spicy curry of apricots and plums), Khade Masale Kee Murghi ( Chicken curry made with whole garam masala), Kozi Varta Chettinad (Chicken cooked Chettinad style in black peppercorns), Curry Patte Waalee Murghee ( Chicken in a coconut sauce spiced with curry leaves) and of course Butter chicken ( Chicken Tikka Masala).

Then there are preparations that I make for special banquets and feasts. These are more involved and cumbersome and have very intricate steps of preparation.

The recipe below is my version of the classic preparation. It is relatively easy to prepare and will win you many admirers. People seem to love this preparation and can never have enough of this dish.

I also have served this sauce with boiled eggs instead of chicken and also baby new potatoes.

BUTTER CHICKEN

(Chicken Tikka Masala)

Serves 4

MARINADE

4 garlic cloves

2 inches fresh ginger, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 cup yogurt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut crosswise into thirds

1 large red onion, cut into large chunks

2 1/2 to 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into large chunks

4 garlic cloves

1/3 cup canola oil

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 1/2 pounds tomato, pureed in a food processor

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 inch fresh ginger, julienned

1. For the marinade, combine the garlic, ginger, onion, cayenne and cream in a food processor and process to a puree. Toss with the chicken in a bowl and let marinate at least 1 hour, 3 to 4 hours or overnight, if you can.

2. Grind the onion with the ginger and garlic in a food processor to a puree.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon and cook, stirring, until the cinnamon unfurls, about 1 minute. Add the onion puree and cook, stirring, until it turns a light golden brown color, about 20 minutes. Keep a measuring cup of water by the stove etc.

4. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

5. Add the tomato, give it a stir, and simmer until the oil separates, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and salt, bring it to a simmer and take the sauce off the heat.

6. Heat the oven to 350?F. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, put them in a single layer on a foil lined drip tray, cover with aluminum foil and bake until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Drop the grilled chicken into the cream sauce, bring to a simmer and serve garnished with ginger juliennes.

[Suvir Saran]

In the recipe for the butter chicken above, you can add a tablespoon or two of very finely chopped tender cilantro stems. You shoudl make sure you use only the very tender part of the stem, closest to the leaves. Chop these stems as finely as possible. In this recipe we use to cilantro. It is more for aesthetic reasons than anything else. But cilantro stems have a great flavor. More intense than the leaves.

If you want your dish to be even more flavorful than it will already be, you can add a pinch of mace and nutmeg into the sauce as you add the cooked chicken breasts.

[oliva]

Easy, quick chicken recipe

Another easy curry I make on an almost weekly basis is for those of us who want to whip up a meal in 15/20 minutes. This uses 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, a little corn oil, 1 1/2 teaspoon of mince garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ginger (I use the minced kind in jars from the grocery store, since this is a quick fix recipe) yoghurt, salt and a teaspoon of turmeric (add spicy green chillies too if you'd like) . Before serving, I add pieces of yellow and red bell pepper so they have softened a bit. There is nothing worse (for me) than soggy bell peppers.

Suvir, I do use cornish hen a lot actually, in fact almost always if I am making a whole chicken to entertain, as not everyone likes breast meat. I also buy my chicken from a Halal or Kosher butcher not for religious reasons, but bec I feel the chicken is more fresh and does not have that strange smell that a lot of chicken you buy from grocery stores has. On Lexington Avenue (and 23rd I think), there are several places where you can buy very good meat.

I think the main difference between Pakistani and Indian food is that since Pakistanis eat meat on a daily basis, it is not so elaborate, therefore not a lot of fancy spices are used. I think 'Mughlai style' food, ie chicken with cashews and butter chicken masala is lovely, but a bit heavy to eat everyday.

[Suvir Saran]

You are on target about the other recipes being heavier. They are made for special occasions. The recipe you gave first is what I have found used in many homes with some changes to showcase individual tastes.

I love using Cornish Hens and use only Kosher or Halal meat as well. The meat is much better I feel. And yes had very little of that strong flavor that American chicken can have.

I also find the Kosher chicken smaller and closer to the size we would cook in India. Do you feel the same way?

[oliva]

Yes the Kosher/Halal chicken is much smaller and more succulent. Best to use for Indo-Pak curry creations.

Whenever I am in the mood of serving roast chicken, be it tandoori spiced or one with parsley and mushroom stuffed under the skin, I use the cornish hens. Always.

[Suvir Saran]

Oliva,

How do you make your tandoori spiced roast chicken??

[Tonyfinch]

I find that Halal/Kosher chickens in the UK are definitely NOT of the best quality. They sometimes have that faint odour of the fish meal they've been fed on,which is very unpleasant.

Also,because they are mass produced battery birds they disintegrate to a pulp after very little cooking and if you're not careful your curry turns out to be a shattered mess.

Here it is best to use free range chickens which taste much nicer and which can stand up much better to the curry cooking process.

[frankj]

Great talk, but I want to make the case for chicken with bones.

Admittedly, they can be annoying, especially with something like fried chicken.

But a great chicken curry is cooked and cooked and cooked. By the time it's done, the meat is falling off the bones. You don't even need a knife. And the bones add flavor to the curry as well as the chicken itself.

[Suvir Saran]

You are making the right case in my book Frankj. Indians love cooking chicken with bone in. The reason is as you suggest the cooking over a long slow fire. This helps meld the flavors and also bring out the flavor from the bones into the sauce.

Testing recipes last Friday in Guilford, CT, we realized how true this is. The chicken will get over cooked in most Indian recipes. But if you try just to ensure the perfect cooking temperature for the chicken, you lose on the larger magic the dish gets from a perfect cooking of meat with sauce with time and heat. That marriage of the 4 factors makes the simple chicken curry that much more complex and subtle and sublime.

Also, I remember in amazement even today how so many family members and friends would enjoy eating bones. They would eat them clean. And then our friend Michael Whiteman, he eats the bones to oblivion.

So, not only do the bones add a great deal to the curry, they also add a great textural quality to a dish.

In Indian cooking chefs take great pride in ensuring that every meal has many different dishes that bring to use the many different tactile qualities of human tasting. Lick, bite, rub, probe, scrape, chew, swallow, tickle, smell, knead, agitate, and regurgitate. Even today, in many Indian homes banquets are prepared to make sure one can enjoy all those possibilities. Some people enjoy tickling a food with their tongue, for that you have those mango pickles with the pith. In these piths, you often have the most finely ground spice mix stuck. With some tickling with your tongue, you can bring it out and enjoy t he most wonderful taste of a pickled spice oil. To others it is more important to be able to knead something with their tongue as they probe for finding flavor. For these people, there is guramba ( a mango chutney made with green mangoes, ripe mangoes and mango seed in the whole). These people enjoy knead the seed with their tongue and extrapolate every bit of spice and sauce that may be contained in and around the small seeds. Some like to lick and for those we have bones. They can lick and bite and savor the flavors.

And so, yes bones are very critical in a good curry. Many restaurants and even most cook-books including mine that is yet to be published, have a larger repertoire of boneless recipes. That is only a matter of adaptation to an American need for that. In Indian homes, bones are loved and craved for. I am sure like with any scenario, there must be many that hate bones, but a larger group loves them and craves them.

[oliva]

Tandoori Style Roast

I marinate the cornish hens in a tandoori style masala (it's not true tandoori, but close enough...)I really dislike the red dye, so I leave that out. I massage the chicken with yoghurt and salt for 10 minutes, over and under the skin. Then I just throw these things together and leave the chicken in a ziploc, overnight with some corn oil (if you can't marinate it overnight, then might as well not make it.)

chopped onion

tomato paste

ginger from the jar

garlic, again from the jar

(I like the jar kind because it is minced really really fine, almost like a paste, ofcourse if you want to use the fresh stuff, please do so...)

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of coriander powder

teaspoon of red chilli powder

crushed roasted cumin

salt

pepper

pinch garam masala

I roast the hens on 400 F for almost an hour. I don't baste (I am lazy). I serve this with a spicy potato saute (aloo ki bhujia) and lots of different raitas. And don't forget the Zin.

[Toby]

Suvir, What a wonderful post about bones and mouth sensations. I love bones. We didn't have much money when I was growing up and my mother always told us the meat was sweeter next to the bone. I always liked to get every last bit of meat off the bone and then really get whatever else I could. I much prefer cooking meat on the bone -- I like long-cooked dishes in any case and the bones add so much flavor.

Your description of mouth sensations is also very much how I ate my food as a child. I think it's a desire to extract all the flavor instead of just chewing and swallowing.

[vivin]

More on butter chicken:

I have had an extensive exposure to this dish. My dad's uncle's restaurant was famous for it in the 50s to the 70s in Delhi. From what my dad tells me that the original version (as it came from the Punjab state of present day Pakistan) was pretty much a dry chicken dish (grilled in a Tandoor after marination). The butter part is what made it butter chicken. I do not remember much about the taste - I will ask my dad if anyone is interested.

Then in the 50s, at my dad's uncle place in Delhi (Moti Mahal) they started to make it in a tomato based curry. The basic recipe is what Suvir describes above. The current version in my dad's restaurant (famous all over Delhi) has the curry that is much simpler but marination is more involved. The chicken is marinated and then grilled till it is about done. When you order the dish, they throw the half to three quarters done chicken in a pan with other ingredients of the pre made tomato based sauce (fresh tomato sauce reduced) and green chilies with cream (equivalent of half and half). I have seen different preparations using different agents to thicken the sauce - cream, flour etc. In my experience, cream works best. Butter is now used sparingly in a dish that still bears the name.

Delicious when eaten hot and fresh with tandoori roti or naan.