One of my favourite Indian dishes of all time. I have adapted recipes from a few different cook books and added a sous-vide element to it, but conventional cooking is addressed here too. I also use my favorite fragrant curry powder in addition to the unique spiciness of the garam masala.
The Mise en Place
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs cut into 2" pieces
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
For the Marinade
3 large fresh, red or green hot chiles, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp toasted cumin seeds or powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
4 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp honey
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp peeled, fresh grated/minced ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne (as needed depending on heat of all other powders and peppers)
For the Sauce
28oz can whole, diced or crushed tomatoes
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy cream (plus extra for garnish)
Method
Place all marinade ingredients into blender or food processor and blend to produce a paste
Transfer marinade to a non-reactive bowl and add chicken
Cover and refrigerate for 3hrs
This is where I put the mixture into a sous vide bag and cook for 4hrs at 60°C
Cook the tomatoes gently in a large saucepan for about 20 minutes until tender
Run them through a fine mesh strainer or French Mill to remove the seeds and/or skin
continue to simmer the tomatoes until thick and reduced
Stir in the butter, a little salt, then add the cream and heat through
Check the seasoning and add salt as necessary
For the sous vide chicken
Remove the chicken from the bag and pour the marinade into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the chicken back in and stir in the tomato sauce.
For the marinated, uncooked chicken
Remove chicken form the marinade and fry gently on all sides for about 5 mins total. Add the marinade back into the pot and cook a further 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
Add the tomato sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes
Serving
Transfer chicken to a serving dish and garnish with a little cream and cilantro
Serve over rice, with Naan bread or Puppodums