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Showing posts with label Tandoori Chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tandoori Chicken. Show all posts

Monday, 9 October 2017

One Pot Chicken Tikka Masala


Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Craving for some succulent chicken? How about a creamy delicious bowl of hot Chicken Tikka Masala? Imagine the smoky aroma of the tandoor with the delightful flavors of heavy cream, ghee and mild tomato sauce yum! This dish is a must have on the list of many foodies and I wont be surprised to know if you have tried preparing this dish at home. After all that’s what we do, try to recreate our favorite recipes. What stopped you? Was it the extra calories? Or the grilling/ broiling part? What if I tell you that I have discovered a low calorie recipe of Chicken Tikka Masala? A one pot recipe which will be prepared with very less oil and still taste amazing! Have guests coming over for dinner? No worries, just change the low calorie ingredients with the real stuff, grill the Chicken to infuse the charred aroma and serve your guests a bowl of mouth watering Tikka Masala.


These days Debarshi and I are doing some diet control (Durga Poojo is coming and we want to loose some weight) and that means we have to cut back on all these delicious, decadent dishes. Let me tell you, it is quite difficult to prepare a low calorie delicious Tikka Masala and I faced this challenge while looking for the perfect recipe. Nevertheless, after much research and improvisations, I created the perfect low calorie recipe and today I am going to share it with you.

Traditionally Chicken Tikka Masala is prepared by first marinating the chicken in yogurt, ginger, garlic and spices and then grilling it in the tandoor (clay oven). However, I decided to prepare this as a one pot dish so you don’t have to worry about going outside and firing up the grill (no need for the broiler as well). There is just one step which you need to do as a part of the preparation which is, marinate the chicken before hand. This will help the chicken pieces to absorb all the wonderful flavor and aroma of the spices and the yogurt will get a lot of time to tenderize the meat. Personally I love one pot dishes, they are quick to cook and there is less to wash. 


Needless to say, good ingredients bring more flavor in the food so make sure you are using good quality chicken and vegetables. Also, I would recommend to go for an extra mile and prepare the Garam Masala from scratch for this recipe as it will play a vital role in the overall taste of the dish.

Before serving this to guests, keep in mind their palate. If they do not like hot dishes, skip the Black Pepper and the Crushed Red Pepper. However, for those who love bold flavors in their food, this dish could be a marvelous new addition in their menu.

Serve it with plain roti (for a low calorie dinner) or Naan / Pulao (for a dinner fit to be served to royals).



Ingredients (this recipe serves two):
  • Garlic – 3 cloves (of elephant garlic, otherwise 5-6 small cloves), finely grated
  • Ginger - 1 inch, peeled and finely grated 
  • Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
  • Kashmiri Mirch - 1 teaspoon 
  • Garam Masala - 1 teaspoon 
  • Chicken Tikka Masala – 2-3 teaspoons 
  • Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Cumin Powder - 1 teaspoon
  • Plain Yogurt – ½ and ¼ cups (use no fat)
  • Salt – to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
  • Black Pepper Powder – ½ teaspoon 
  • Chicken - 1 pound (skinless, boneless breasts or any type of pieces you like, cut into bite size cubes)
  • Oil – 1 and ½ tablespoons 
  • Red Onion – ½ of a big onion, thinly sliced
  • Tomato Ketchup - 2 tablespoons 
  • Cardamom Pods - 3, crushed (remove skins)
  • Crushed Red Pepper - 1 tablespoon 
  • Tomato - 1 big, cut into medium size cubes
  • Milk - ½ cup (I used 2%)
  • Cilantro – a handful, washed and cut for garnish


Let’s do some preparations:
  • Combine the Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Kashmiri Mirch, Garam Masala, Chicken Tikka Masala, Coriander powder and Cumin Powder in a small bowl. 
  • Divide the mixture into two parts.
  • Take a big bowl (do not use a metal container) and whisk the Plain Yogurt, Salt and Black Pepper Powder. 
  • Add one part of the spice mixture in the yogurt.
  • Make sure the Chicken has been properly thawed. Wash it and pat it dry.
  • Transfer it to the bowl and turn the chicken pieces to coat the marinade properly.
  • If you are cooking straightaway, you can keep it outside, otherwise it is best to cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate. 
  • Take the Tomatoes and put them in a small pan. Fill it with water just enough to cover the tomatoes. Cover and boil it over high heat for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool.




Photo shows: Onion thinly sliced

Directions:
  • Heat a wok over high heat. 
  • Add Oil in it, wait a few seconds then add the Onion slices.
  • Stir till the Onion turns golden then add the Cardamom powder.
  • Stir to mix then add the Crushed Red Pepper.
  • Reduce the heat to medium high and cook for about 30 seconds then add the Tomato Ketchup.
  • Stir to mix, it will darken quickly (you may want to turn on the vent at this time). Reduce the heat to medium. When the onion softens, add the remaining half of the spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until the bottom of the pot begins to brown.
  • Now add the tomatoes with all the juice. Stir to mix.
  • When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and continue to stir and scrap the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the sauce thickens.
  • Add the chicken with the yogurt mix and increase the heat to high (Tip: Use splatter screen).
  • Stir and cook till the yogurt reduces to just a little bit of thick gravy. When it starts sticking on the bottom again, turn down the heat to low and add the Milk.
  • Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with rice or roti.


When serving Chicken Tikka Masala in a party:
  • Substitute the Oil with Ghee to make it more flavorful (remember flavor comes with calories).
  • Substitute the Milk with Heavy Cream
  • Like it mild? Skip the Crushed Red Pepper and Black Pepper. Also keep in mind the taste and preference of the guests you will be serving. 
  • Use Mortar Pestle to crush the Cardamoms 
  • Go for an extra mile by grilling/ broiling the Chicken pieces. Refer to my article on Tandoori Chicken
  • Use food chopper to mince the garlic, ginger and cilantro



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Thursday, 5 November 2015

Tandoori Chicken




Tandoori Chicken is one of the quintessential North Indian appetizers. It is prepared in a clay oven also called Tandoor (which is heated by burning coal for the smoky flavor) hence the name. We in India usually don't bake in convection ovens. Setting up a clay oven especially for the purpose of baking this is a lot of work. Hence Tandoori Chicken is essentially an eat-out item making it a fairly easily available dish in most restaurants.

I always used to think that there is something special about the recipe but the main technique is in cooking. The Chicken is marinated in Yogurt and Spices and then roasted in the Tandoor. The Chicken breast is very unforgiving meat. Undercooked chicken is not edible and it is very easy to overcook. Once overcooked, it loses its juiciness and becomes rubbery. Marinating in yogurt helps to retain the juices for a longer time.

After coming to the U.S., I found that it's not only easy to make Tandoori Chicken at home but also it is one of the healthy sides to have with my dinner. Baking or Grilling the marinated Chicken requires very little oil thus making it healthy and tasty. The preparation is easy and it takes very little effort to cook. 


I remember the first time Debarshi baked this for me. We didn’t have the Grill at that time so we used the oven. It tasted great and I kept asking Debarshi for the recipe. His method of cooking is very different from mine. I always measure every ingredient whereas he eyeballs it. He likes to keep a watch on the oven and check periodically if the food is cooked whereas I set a timer.

When we bought our first Grill, Tandoori Chicken was one of the first dishes to be grilled. Since we are still fairly new to the art of grilling, I don’t want to add too much information without collecting some good Grilling experience. However, the best way to have a perfectly cooked and not burnt food on a Grill is to keep a watch on the chicken to prevent it from being over cooked. For us grilling is a family activity rather than a cooking means. We usually sit outside near the grill with a refreshing beverage and enjoy the experience. I like to keep an oven safe bowl near the Grill. It can withstand the high temperature and it is easier to transfer the Grilled food in it.
The skinless breasts have no fat to protect them from the heat; hence they get easily stuck to the grate. A clean and well-oiled grate is a must before starting to grill. Cooking spray works best for this purpose. Also, Grilling Tongs and Spatula should be used rather than the usual kitchen Tongs. A roll of paper towels at hand serves good to clean. So there you go, some tips to start with. Happy Grilling!!






Ingredients:
  • 1 Whole Chicken (Cut In Medium Sized Pieces)
  • Yogurt  - 2 Cups
  • Tandoori Chicken Masala – 4 Tablespoons
  • Cumin Powder – 1 Teaspoon
  • Black   Pepper – 1 Teaspoon
  • Ginger Garlic  Paste – 1 Tablespoon
  • Salt – ½ teaspoon (or to taste)
  • Coriander Powder – 1 Teaspoon
  • Garam Masala - 1 Teaspoon
  • Red Chili Powder – ½ Teaspoon
  • Turmeric Or Paprika (For Color) – ½ Teaspoon
  • Cooking Spray


Tip: Instead of Turmeric Or Paprika use Kashmiri Mirch for that beautiful red color on the Tandoori Chicken.



Prepping Directions:
  • Combine the Chicken, Ginger Garlic paste and Yogurt in  a large bowl.
  • Add all the Seasonings (Tandoori Chicken Masala, Cumin Powder, Black Pepper, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder and Turmeric Or Paprika) and Salt; toss to coat evenly.


Baking Directions:
  • Preheat the oven at 375°F.
  • Spread the Chicken with the marinade on a single layer on a foil-lined baking pan. The marinade should be just enough to coat the Chicken properly.
  • Bake    the Chicken for 20 minutes on one side then flip it over and continue to bake 10 minutes on the other side until it dries up little. (The Chicken will give out a lot of juice at this time. You may take out the extra juice from the pan this will help prevent the Chicken from being soggy)
  • When it’s slightly moist, broil for 5-7 minutes until it's charred a little.


Grilling Directions:
  • Check if the grates are clean.
  • Set the fire at a medium-high fire, 375-450°F. Keep one of the burners at a low  flame that  way if the chicken is already brown in color but not cooked through we can move it to the low heat.
  • Oil the grates with a cooking spray (oil  it well to prevent sticking).
  • Place the Chicken on the pre-heated grates and cover it.
  • Check after 4-5 minutes if the Chicken is cooked enough to flip it  over. (If the chicken starts  burning, move it over to the cooler side  of the grill.)
  • Spread the remaining marinade over the Chicken  with  a Spatula. 
  • Continue grilling until the Chicken is cooked through.



We don’t need to spend the whole day in the kitchen to prepare a four-course meal for a special occasion. 

This picture was taken on the Valentine’s Day. We didn’t want to go to a crowded restaurant where we would have spent half the evening waiting for our turn so we planned something special. I baked some Asparagus and prepared Cold Pasta salad and we bought French bread, some Shrimp Appetizer’s, Kabab ingredients and Dessert. Debarshi prepared the Kabab and served everything together with a candle and a bottle of Champagne. It was nothing less than a fine dining served with Love.
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