Aromatic Chicken with Yoghurt Sauce

April 26, 2011

Indian cuisine has lots of flavour with every bite... with wonderful aromatic spices like cumin, black pepper,coriander, cardamon as well as the use of fresh tumeric, ginger, coriander and mint.
Among those wonderful spices...my favourite spices are coriander seeds and cumin, and I have them in big bottles...stock up in my pantry.
what's your favourite spice/s...?

Going down memory lane... when I was in my teens and my sisters left home to either work or start their family, and I was the only 'girl' left in the house to help my mom in her kitchen... boys were spared and barred from the kitchen... dont ask me why!! I haven't a clue till today mom would asked me to prepare spices for her...either cumin or coriander.
I had to pound the spices... using mortar and pestle, I kept crushing and pounding until my hand ached but the  aroma from the spices permeated my senses that makes everything worthwhile... my love for cumin and coriander blossomed... The taste of cumin or coriander added to curries or any Indian cuisine... is heavenly... Cumin and coriander had made a rubberstamp in my brain sensory cells...
That's one of the reasons, I love Indian food... the aroma of the freshly grounded spices... and a good memory~ spending time with mom...in her kitchen

Aromatic Chicken in Yoghurt Sauce is an exquisite Indian Cuisine that uses plentiful of fresh herbs with spices, that one would fall in love with ...every single bite... plus it has grounded coriander
Dont be discouraged by the long list of ingredients... it just takes a matter of minutes to blend the spices, yoghurt and herbs before adding to the chicken and straight to oven...


Recipe (from The best of Indian Cookery)
1 kg of chicken thighs
3 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoon almonds
3 tablespoon golden fried shallots (plus 1 tablespoon for garnishing)
300 ml Greek Yoghurt
2 tablespoon Hara Masala (chopped mint and fresh coriander)
2 teaspoon Garam Masala (store bought)
400ml water
1 tablespoon coriander- grounded
2 tablespoon Four Spice (ginger, garlic, chilli and tumeric - blended into a smooth paste)
3 tablespoon of oil and dollop of butter
salt
  1. Wash the chicken and pat dry with kitchen paper.
  2. Heat about 2 tablespoon of oil in the frying pan, brown the chicken to seal the juice. Remove and place the chicken in a casserole dish and set aside.
  3. In another frying pan, roast then grind poppy seeds and almonds.
  4. Place the grounded almond and poppy seeds into a blender together with Greek Yoghurt, golden fried shallots, Hara Masala, Garam Masala and 200ml water. Blend into a smooth paste.
  5. Pre heat the oven to 180°C.
  6. Reuse the oil (chicken earlier) and reheat in the same dish with a dollop of butter.
  7. Add the Four Spice and grounded coriander and fry until fragrant.
  8. Pour in the blended yoghurt spice and the remaining 200ml water, leave it for 5 minutes until the mixture is heated through.
  9. Pour the mixture over the chicken.
  10. Baked in moderate oven for 1 hour or until the sauce thickened...
  11. Garnish with golden fried shallots and serve...


Comments

  1. I am drooling looking at these beautiful and delicious photos! I can even smell the aroma of the chicken here...:)!!

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  2. Indian cuisine definitely wins for most flavorful both in taste and aroma! Cumin is one of my favorite spices too along with cinnamon and turmeric.

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  3. yum! this looks fantastic! and a much healthier alternative cooking with yogurt as I only always use coconut milk of whipping cream to thicken the gravy. thanks for sharing the recipes. Stunning photos by the way!

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  4. Growing up, I remember eating the best curry that was made by aunty from Kedah. Infact the best curry in the family always come from and made by the saudara-mara dari Utara. They are more authentic than our Selangor curry. Not sure why, but I love their curry.

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  5. PapaCheong's
    Thank you...
    I didn't like my earlier photos either ... with technology, internet and friends... I made slight progress :)
    You could go through this recent article that talk about food photography... if you wish

    http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/04/guide-to-food-blog-photography.html

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  6. Cookie
    ... except cardamon, dont fancy biting into one:(

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  7. baobabs
    Thank you.
    I always use coconut milk in my curries too ... :D

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  8. Flower
    hehehe... of course curry orang Kedah is the best ;)...
    My late grandmother made the best fish curry ever... and it tasted even better the next day :D

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  9. I love fish curry, eaten with hot rice and a bit of sambal belacan and ulam timun or in the morning with some roti canai. Yum...

    Talking about Kedah, I think I saw your Sultan and his wife in Carousel, Cannington today. Selamba derk saja dia jalan.

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  10. Oh! This chicken must taste delicious with all the yummie spices...I'd love to have this dish with a bowl of rice. Hope you are having a great week :-)

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  11. Flower
    OMG... you are spot on!!
    That is exactly how I love to have my fish curry :P
    Instead of Roti canai.. I prefer the local white bread (Roti Benggali)... ahhh you make me hungry :D

    He must be very2 old now... the last time.. I saw him in person was in 2004... he was visiting my uncle in hospital kat KL.

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  12. Juliana
    I am.... thank you
    Hope you are having a good one too :D

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  13. Lisa,
    Surprisingly he still looks the same. I think his younger brother Raja Muda Kedah looks older than him.

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  14. Oh, these look so wonderful! Would go so nicely with a basmati rice!

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  15. Flower
    hmm... can't remember how the bro looks like ;)

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  16. Oh I love Indian food and curries with yogurt-based sauces. Looks fatastic and I love your small pot =D

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  17. Xiaolu
    I started using yoghurt about a decade or so... :D

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  18. Love the spices you are using here....yum!

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