Submitted by Sona Chowdhury, PhD, Associate Specialist, Infectious Diseases, UCSF Health
My Story
My Dad, (Dipak Kumar Chowdhury) was the best cook in the family and whenever I visited home (India) I had a list of dishes which he would cook for me. I am not much of a meat eater. But Dad just knew the right method to cook the chicken so that I would savor each bite of it. Dad was so passionate about cooking that he could tell the ingredients by just tasting the food. His food was unique not only in taste but in preparation. The onion was diced in perfect angles, the potato was boiled to the right consistency, the food was never too spicy. But just right. Though Dad is no longer with us, I especially remember his Sunday special lunches.
Sundays were late lunches and meant a gathering of our entire family of five members. Usually, the hearty meal would also have a lentil soup with fried potato juliennes eaten along with piping hot basmati rice. Followed by a mixed vegetable curry. Dad was big on vegetables. This was followed by the main entrée, the yogurt chicken with potatoes, which he had named the Chowdhury's Special Chicken. The dessert would be either an Indian sweet or the Indian sweet tomato chutney.
During the pandemic, I was feeling a tad homesick so I cooked a few of his recipes. One of them being his unique Chowdhury's Special Chicken. What I loved about Dad's cooking, is that he could cater to anyone's taste buds from a vegetarian to a non-vegetarian palate. His recipes were simple and quick. As I am not fond of rice, I usually substitute it with quinoa. The flavor of the yogurt chicken is comfort food during these hard times.
Recipe
Ingredients
1 pound Chicken (bone-in, cut into medium pieces)
2 medium sized Onion, finely chopped
2 medium sized Potatoes, peeled and cut into halves
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil 1 tbsp Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp garam masala powder (optional)
1 sprig of coriander/cilantro leaves
To marinate the chicken
1 cup Yogurt
1 tsp Cumin Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
For tempering
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
3 cardamom (small green ones )
Method
Wash and clean the Chicken pieces. Rub the Chicken with the garlic and ginger paste. Keep aside
For the marinade: take the yogurt and put it in a bowl. To it add the turmeric, cumin, chilli and coriander powder. Mix well
Marinate the chicken pieces with the yogurt marinade and ensure all pieces are well covered with the yoghurt mix. Marinate for 2/3 hours. Tip : Yogurt tenderizes meat more effectively than other marinades, making it softer. Longer the marinating time, softer the chicken.
After marinating, take out the chicken from the fridge and let it attain room temperature.
Then in a wok, add 3 tbsp of oil and heat it. Fry the potatoes, till golden brown and keep aside.
With the rest of the oil, temper the oil with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamoms.
Now add the finely chopped onion pieces and fry over medium heat, till the onion turns pink in color. Tip: Do not brown the onions
Now add the marinated chicken pieces one by one. Do not add the remaining yogurt at this stage.
Fry the chicken well for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring quite often. Then add the rest of the yogurt marinade and fry for 3-4 minutes more.
Add the potatoes, salt and sugar to the chicken and stir well
Lower the heat and cover the pan. Let the chicken, cook in the yogurt over a low flame.
Cook for 20 mins till the chicken becomes tender. Also ensure that the potatoes are well cooked.
At this stage, if you want more gravy then add half cup of warm water and cook for about 5 mins more.
Garnish with garam masala (optional) and coriander leaves.
Best eaten hot, along with white basmati rice.
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