This dish can be traced back to Mogul times, but is most closely associated with Delhi’s Moti Mahal restaurant. Many chefs have tried to emulate the rich sauce, and flavours vary slightly between restaurants. This is my version of the classic dish.
Ingredients
Serves 4
800g boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3-4cm pieces
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2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
2cm ginger, peeled and finely grated
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1½ tsp lemon juice
75ml natural yoghurt
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil, for brushing
Sauce
1½ tbsp ghee or melted unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
2cm ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 cardamom pod, seeds lightly crushed
2 cloves 1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp hot chilli powder, or to taste
275ml tomato pur?e
1 tbsp lemon juice
40g unsalted butter
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100ml double cream
1 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish
Method
Place the chicken in a bowl with the garlic, ginger, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice. Mix, cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Mix together the yoghurt, garam masala, turmeric and cumin and add to the chicken, making sure that each piece is well coated with the mixture. Cover again and chill for 3-4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the marinated chicken pieces on a grill rack set on a baking tray and cook for 8-10 minutes. Brush the chicken pieces with a little oil and turn them over. Bake for another 10-12 minutes, until just cooked through.
For the sauce, heat the ghee or butter in a pan and add the garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute or so, then add the cardamom, cloves, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir well and fry for 1-2 minutes, until they give off a lovely aroma. Stir in the tomato pur?e and lemon juice and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a warm bowl and serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander.