Chilli chicken balti
January 15, 2016
Peter Penguin says...
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Ingredients
- 15 g fresh root ginger
- 6 fat garlic cloves
- 2 largish tomatoes, quartered
- 1½ tsp garam masala
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika, for colour
- 1 rounded tbsp full-fat yogurt
- Salt, to taste
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¾ tsp brown mustard seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 610 green chillies, whole but pierced
- 500 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
- Large handful of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and stems
Method
- Blend together the ginger, garlic and tomatoes until smooth. Stir in the ground spices, yogurt and three quarter teaspoon of salt.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they have popped.
- Add the bay leaf, onion and green chillies and cook over a moderate flame, stirring often, for six to eight minutes, until the onions are well browned.
- Add the blended ingredients and cook on a high flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and most of the excess liquid in the pan has evaporated. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the paste releases oil.
- Add the chicken and stir it in the thick masala for a few minutes. Add enough water to come halfway up the chicken. Bring back to a boil and cook for seven minutes.
- Increase the heat and toss the chicken in the sauce for another five minutes; the sauce will reduce to a lovely creamy consistency.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, adding lots of black pepper and a little lemon juice if your sauce is not tart enough. Stir in the chopped coriander and serve.