Cooking | Butter Chicken & Punjabi Chole … The Chakle India Cookbook {a book review}

[print_this]Recipe: Butter Chicken {pan fried version}

Summary: A flavoursome home style butter chicken bursting with the goodness of fresh tomatoes. A recipe in which the marinated chicken pan fried as against traditionally grilled. Recipe from The Chakle India Cookbook by Aditya Bal

Ingredients:

• 500gm boneless chicken {cut into tikka sized pieces}
• 1 tsp salt
• Few drops refined oil
• 50g butter
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• The Marinade
• 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 onion, pureed
• 4tbsp whisked curd
• 1tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1tsp hot red chili powder
• Juice of 1 lime
• Rich Tomato Gravy
• 7-8 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, puréed
• Few drops of refined oil
• 50g butter
• 1/2″ piece ginger chopped fine
• 2 green chilies, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1tsp hot red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1sp coriander powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2tsp sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes
• 4-5 tsp full cream {I used low fat 2 tsp}
• Garnish
• 2-3tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• Knob of butter

Method:

1. The Marinade
2. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Put the chicken into a large glass or plastic bowl. Add the marinade and mix it well into the chicken with your hands. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours
3. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the rich tomato gravy.
4. Rich Tomato Gravy
5. Heat a medium size sauté pan and add the oil and butter. Keep the pan on medium heat till the butter is foaming. The oil prevents the butter from burning as it as a much higher smoking point.
6. Once the foam subsides somewhat, add the chopped ginger and green chilies and sauté for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
7. Add the spice powders and sauté, till they are aromatic and richly coloured.
8. Now add the fresh tomato purée and stir to mix with the spices.
9. Simmer on low heat, till the tomato gravy is thick and has a rich and deep red colour and the oil rises to the top.
10. Season well with salt and add the sugar. Stir through and simmer for a few minutes longer. Turn of the heat and set the gravy aside to mature.
11. To cook the chicken
12. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. season with salt and mix well.
13. Heat a heavy non stick frying pan and add a few drops of refined oil and the butter
14. Once the butter is hot, add a few chicken pieces at a time and sear them on high heat, till the develop a rich caramelized crust and are slightly charred around the edges. remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces.
15. Now, return all the seared pieces to pan and fry them all together. ass the sugar, lime juice and any remaining marinate. continue to fry the chicken, till it is almost fully cooked and turns a lovely, charred, golden brown.
16. Add the thick spicy tomato gravy to the chicken and de-glaze the pan to lift up those intense pan deposits.
17. Cook on medium heat, stirring well to make sure the chicken is fully submerged and coated in the delicious gravy
18. Simmer uncovered to reduce the gravy
19. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the thick cream. stir through to combine and cook for about five minutes to blend well
20. Check for a balance of flavours: the gravy should be rich and buttery, bursting with the spices and concentrated tomatoes; the chicken, perfectly tender and packed with the rich flavours of the creamy tomato gravy.
21.  Add a knob of butter and enjoy this home-style butter chicken with naan or tandoori roti.

Recipe: Chola Masala {Spicy Chickpeas}

Summary: A real Punjabi classic which is eaten all over North India and is cooked with endless variation. This is a snack which can double up as a meal too. {I used just chickpeas but the recipe has gram too} Recipe from The Chakle India Cookbook by Aditya Bal

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 cup whole Bengal gram or kala chana, soaked overnight {I didn’t use these so I increased the chickpeas}
• Curry Base
• 2 tsp refined oil {I used Leonardo olive oil from here}
• 1″ cassia stick
• 1tsp cumin seeds
• 4-5 cloves
• 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 4 green cardamoms
• 2 brown cardamoms
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 onions chopped fine
• 1/2″ ginger, chopped fine
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1tsp coriander powder
• A pinch of asafoetida powder / hing {I used a big pinch}
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tomatoes, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp butter {I used olive oil again}
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2-4 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and gram for any toxins, wash well and parboil in a pressure cooker with 3 cups water for 25-30 minutes {I use a pinch of baking soda too}. The chickpeas should hold shape but be soft enough to be mashed with a fork or between fingers.
2. Transfer them to a bowl and mash them lightly with a fork, keeping half of them whole. {I tend to do this when I add the chickpeas to the curry. I also reserve any remaining liquid and use it to this the curry later}
3. The Curry
4. Heat the oil in a wok/kadhai and add the whole spices and bay leaf. Saute on medium heat till they crackle and release their aroma.
5. When the whole spices are nutty and richly coloured, add the onions and  sauté for a few minutes, till they turn light golden brown.
6. Stir in the ginger and garlic and  sauté till they are softened and lightly coloured.
7. Sprinkle in the spice powders, salt and  sauté for a couple of minutes till they are aromatic and toasted. Add a few drops of water to deglaze the pan and lift up the spices stuck to the pan. Bhuno {roast} the masala 3-4 times with water, till the base is homogeneous and oil rises to the surface.
8. Mix in the cooked chickpeas {and gram if using} and fry them in the masala base till they are well coated.
9. Add the tomatoes and continue to fry on high heat till they begin to disintegrate. Sprinkle in the sugar and mix well to combine.
10. Pour in enough water {I used the reserved liquid here} to come 1″ above the contents of the pan. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer gently for about an hour or more. {I have to confess I just popped everything back into the cooker and gave it a whistle within!}
11. Cook until the starch glutenizes with the liquid, so they are soft and creamy in texture and the gravy thickens. Taste and adjust salt if required.
12. Now add the butter and lime juice to lift the flavours, then sprinkle the coriander leaves and stir well.
13. Check for balance of flavours: The cholas should be extremely soft and creamy but with a little bite to them ad should have the robust taste of whole spices. The dish should be thick and concentrated in flavour.
14. Serve with hot roi, puri or bhatura and a salad.

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