Indian chicken, with a British twist
It’s telling that the first recipe in Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook, Jamie’s Comfort Food, is for chicken tikka masala. The Indian curry is considered a national dish in England.
Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Tikka Masala
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In Jamie’s Comfort Food, Jamie Oliver notes that chicken tikka masala is inspired by Indian cooking but is “an Anglo-Indian evolution, created to suit British palates.” Serve this curry with basmati rice or bread such as naan or parathas. You can easily cut this adapted recipe in half.
Chicken:
1 tsp (5 mL) each: ground cloves, ground cumin, sweet smoked paprika, garam masala Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon 6 cloves garlic, minced Thumb-size piece ginger, peeled, minced or finely grated 1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt 1 tsp (5 mL) fine sea salt 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut i n 1- i nch (2.5-cm) cubes Extra-virgin olive oil Sauce: 2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, halved, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 to 2 red finger chilies, seeded if desired, minced 1 bunch cilantro, trimmed, stems finely sliced, leaves chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) ground coriander 2 tsp (10 mL) ground turmeric 1 tsp (5 mL) sweet smoked paprika, garam masala 6 tbsp (90 mL) ground almonds,
toasted 28-oz (796-mL) can whole plum
tomatoes 1-1/4 cups (310 mL) boiling water Two, 400-mL cans coconut milk Fresh lemon juice (optional) For chicken, in small, dry skillet over medium heat, combine cloves, cumin, paprika and garam masala. Toast1 minute until fragrant. Transfer to large bowl. Add lemon juice and zest, garlic, ginger, yogurt and salt. Stir well. Add chicken; mix well. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours to overnight.
To cook, heat large grill pan over medium-high. Drizzle with oil. Add chicken, in single layer. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside and is charred on both sides. (You can also barbecue on skewers.)
Meanwhile for sauce, heat oil in large pot over medium. Add onions, garlic, chilies and cilantro stems. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Stir in coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika and garam masala. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in almonds. Add tomatoes with juices and boiling water. Simmer 5 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon. Stir in coconut milk. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro leaves. Taste; if needed, add lemon juice to taste.
Makes 8 servings. jbain@thestar.ca