Photo: Leigh Loftus
It takes me awhile to warm up to new types of cuisine. For year, I resisted eating sushi and now I would order it every night if it were safe for a single person to consumer that much raw fish. I was hesitant to try Ethiopian food, and now that I even mention it I want to be dipping pieces of injera into a vegetarian Messob platter, stat. You get where I’m going with this.
I have a friend who dislikes the texture of ground beef and therefore, won’t eat hamburgers. When his friends ask him why he won’t eat something as plain as a hamburger but will eat Thai and Indian food with no problem, he responds that “it’s not like ethnic foods are made from different animals. Chicken is still chicken even with different spices on it. ” Fair point.
Based on this rule, it’s a good idea for anyone experiencing a new cuisine to stick to the basics that they know they’ll like. If you’ve never tried Indian food, don’t jump right to the lamb vindaloo and the fish curry. Despite my initial skepticism of certain foods, I’m relatively adventurous when it comes to ordering from a menu. It’s in my kitchen that I like to be conservative and start with the basics that I know I can prepare…and prepare well.
Chicken. It’s one of the ickiest foods to prepare raw, but it’s also a great staple since it absorbs a lot of the flavor of its sauce or marinade. People like to compare other things that “taste like chicken” but actually, chicken doesn’t taste like much.
This is a recipe with multiple steps: prepare the sauce, prepare the marinade and prepare the chicken. It would make a great dinner project if you’re cooking dinner with friends or a significant other. Once you’ve muddled through all three steps though, it’s easy to pull together, serve over rice and top with cilantro to offset some of the heat from the thick and flavorful sauce.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
Marinade:- 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, freshly minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks
Sauce:- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch thumb ginger minced
- 2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 to 2 cups water
- Oil, for grilling
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving
- For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.
- For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the minched garlic, ginger and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.
- Meanwhile, fire up your grill or grill pan. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).
- Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread.
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