This is Diana Henry’s slightly tweaked version of Madhur Jaffrey’s Moghlai Chicken.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cm piece ginger root peeled and chopped
- 8 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 40 g slivered or flaked almonds
- 4 tbsp ghee or sunflower oil
- 1.2 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs, each one halved
- 8 cardamom pods crushed a little
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 2 Indian bay leaves (or if you can’t get them,them out)
- 5 cloves
- 2 medium onions peeled and very finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne
- 7 tbsp plain yogurt
- 150 ml well-flavoured chicken stock
- 125 ml double cream
- 75 g sultanas
- 1-2 tsp soft light brown sugar optional
- 1 tsp garam masala
Servings:
Instructions
- Put the ginger, garlic, 25g of the almonds and 75ml water into a blender and blend to a paste. Scrape down the sides and add a little more water if you need to. It takes a while for it all to purée properly.
- Heat the oil or ghee – start with half of it and add more as you need it – in a heavy-bottomed casserole dish and, over a medium heat, brown the chicken on both sides, seasoning them as you go. Cook it in batches so that it fries and doesn’t just sweat.
- Remove each batch to a bowl as it’s ready. When turning over the chicken pieces, don’t move them until you can feel that they will come away easily – you don’t want them to tear. Keep to one side.
- Put the cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves into the oil and fry them for about 20 seconds, then add the onions and cook until soft. Make sure that nothing catches and burns – adjust the heat and keep the onions moving.
- Add the spice paste along with the cumin, coriander and cayenne. Fry this for about 3 minutes, until it all begins to colour.
- Add 1 tbsp of yogurt, cook for 30 seconds, then add another tbsp and cook for 15 seconds. Add the rest of the yogurt gradually, until it’s all incorporated. Don’t let the mixture boil.
- Put the chicken pieces, plus any juices that have run out of them, back into the pan. Season with salt, and add the stock, cream, sultanas, sugar if you’re using it, and garam masala.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, then uncover the pan and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Check for seasoning and adjust it if you need to.
- Toast the remaining almonds in a dry frying pan and scatter them over the top before serving.
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