March 18, 2016

Butter Chicken, Mango Chutney and Raita

I felt compelled. The smells and flavors take over the house. So good. I got these recipes from Saveur. I pretty much followed everything except for the garlic. I doubled the chicken marinade because I had more chicken than what is called for. I didn’t double the sauce and that worked. Should cook the chicken 40 minutes vs 20 minutes in the oven. I didn’t have raisins (thought I did) and probably didn’t have enough mango for the liquids but I just kept boiling it down. Big mistake. I created candy. Many hours. Lessons learned. Next time it will be even better.

chicken Chicken

¹⁄₂ cup Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. canola oil

2 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

4 cloves garlic

1 (3″) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise

Kosher salt, to taste

1 (3–4-lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin remove

Marinate the chicken: Combine all marinade ingredients except for chicken in a food processor; purée. Transfer marinade to a large bowl and add chicken, tossing to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Sauce

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 green cardamom pods, cracked

3 whole cloves, crushed

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

1 (3″) piece ginger, washed and grated (skin on)

1 bay leaf

¹⁄₃ cup heavy cream

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into ¹⁄₂” cubes

1 tsp. garam masala

4 fresh or frozen curry leaves

Heat oven to 500°. Transfer chicken to an aluminum foil—lined baking sheet and spoon any marinade from bowl over chicken. Bake chicken until light brown but not cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack; set aside.

Make the sauce: In a 6-qt. pot over medium-high heat, combine chile flakes, garlic, cardamom, cloves, tomatoes, ginger, bay leaf, and ⅔ cup water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often and crushing tomatoes with a spoon, for 25 minutes. Discard bay leaf and transfer sauce to a food processor; purée. Return sauce to pot and continue cooking over medium-low heat until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Add reserved chicken pieces and any marinade from pan, along with ⅓ cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream, butter, garam masala, and curry leaves. Reduce heat to low and cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Mango Chutney

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup raisins

¹⁄₂ cup finely chopped ginger

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. chile powder

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp. kosher salt

¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cloves

¹⁄₂ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 stick cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a 4-qt. saucepan; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring, until reduced and thick, about 2 hours. Transfer to glass jars and seal; store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Raita

¹⁄₂ English cucumber (about 6 oz.), seeded and grated

¹⁄₂ medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped

1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt

1 cup plain yogurt

1 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. roughly chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

¹⁄₂ tsp. ground coriander

¹⁄₄ tsp. ground cumin

¹⁄₂ medium carrot, finely grated

Toss cucumbers, tomatoes, and salt in a colander and let sit for 10 minutes. Press cucumbers and tomatoes to drain well and then transfer to a medium bowl along with yogurt, mint, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, and carrots; toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Chill.

A delicious feast

Butter Chicken, Mango Chutney and Raita

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