Easy Indian Cooking (16 page)

Authors: Hari Nayak

BOOK: Easy Indian Cooking

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In fact, in inland regions where seafood isn’t as readily available, lamb, goat and chicken form the basis of many popular dishes.

In addition, India has a diverse array of religions and cultures, some of which do not follow vegetarian diets. Muslims, for example—who are meat eaters—have influenced Indian cuisine in various parts of the country.

I pick and choose my chicken recipes quite carefully. For example, I think that
vindaloo
paste can overpower the flavor of chicken. While I may make chicken
vindaloo
to change things up from time to time, I prefer to pair bold spices with the stronger flavor of pork (the traditional meat for
vindaloo
) or even duck.

Turkey is almost never used in India—it simply isn’t available. However, I’ve tried many of these recipes with turkey, and find that it often works just as well as chicken.

tandoori chicken tikka with lemon and sage

Serves
6
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
15 minutes

This dish—loosely inspired by chicken tikka masala, an all-time favorite Indian dish in the West—makes for a very simple, yet satisfying meal. The bright flavors of sage, lemon and garlic marry very well to give the chicken a unique flavor. Quick to make, you can either marinate whole chicken breasts or cube them, as described in the following recipe. If preparing this dish with whole chicken breasts, serve with Aromatic Butternut Squash (page 97); its slight sweetness complements the sharp flavor of the sage-lemon marinade. When cubed, I like to place the meat in a wrap, for a quick lunch to go!

5 lbs (2.25 kg) skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) cubes

20 (12-in/30.5-cm) wooden skewers

Oil, for brushing broiler pan

6 lemon wedges, for garnish

Lemon Sage Marinade

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted (page 7)

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted (page 7)

2 cups (490 g) plain yogurt

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Salt, to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon Asian chili powder or ground cayenne pepper

1
Purée the ingredients for the Lemon Sage Marinade in a blender until smooth.

2
Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour the marinade over top. Turn the chicken pieces in the marinade to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

3
Soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes. While the skewers are soaking, bring the chicken to room temperature.

4
Preheat the broiler to high heat.

5
Brush a broiler pan lightly with oil. Place 5 chicken cubes on each skewer, leaving a ⅛-in (3-mm) space between the cubes, and place the skewers on the pan. Broil the chicken about 4 in (10 cm) from the heat, turning once, until browned in spots and just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges.

pan-roasted onion chicken

Serves
6
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
15 minutes

Very quick and easy to make, this chicken preparation can easily be the “most valuable player” on your weekday dinner table. You can substitute chicken breasts with a whole chicken, place it right on the table, and have family members carve their favorite pieces. Serve it with a side of Baby Beets and Carrots with Curry Leaves (page 94).

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large onion, diced

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 lbs (1 kg) chicken, skinned and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces

10 fresh curry leaves

2-in (5-cm) cinnamon stick

2 cardamom pods

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt, to taste

1 cup (125 g) thinly-sliced and crisply-fried onions, for garnish (page 6)

1
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, diced onion and garam masala, and cook until the onion is brown, about 5 minutes.

2
Add the chicken, curry leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cumin and salt. Increase the heat and pan-roast the ingredients until brown, about 5 minutes, turning constantly.

3
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered until the chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add water if needed. Serve hot, garnished with the fried onions.

lemon pepper chicken with fresh mint

Serves
6
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
15 minutes

Readymade lemon pepper powder—found in most households and widely available—is a great tool to make a simple, quickly-made yet delicious chicken dish. Here I have used this very common condiment as the inspiration for a flavorful marinade, using fresh lemon juice and zest. The green chili pepper and turmeric give it a little zing. Serve it with simple dinner rolls or a portion of the Southern Indian Masala with Potatoes and Peas (page 101), if you want to get a little more elaborate.