By Request: Indian Chicken with Cauliflower
Served with Sam Sifton’s Baked Rice from the NYTimes Cooking collection, although I don’t use quite as many shallots or garlic cloves as called for in the recipe (link here if you’re a subscriber).
My friend and colleague, Lisa, and I have been talking about this recipe on and off since last year. She had asked for new ideas for the spices in her cabinet, and we talked about doing a curry cooking class with friends. I had even thought of a few recipes I could include. Maybe once things get back to some semblance of normal we will finally plan that get-together.
For now, however, I hope you enjoy this family favorite! It’s surely not authentic (see my rumination on what “authentic” means anyway in my blog post about General Tso’s Chicken), but it’s easy and delicious and keeps well! We usually make a large batch so we can enjoy it for dinners and lunches over a few days – although when we still had kids at home it never lasted that long! (You can halve the recipe if you prefer.) It can also be frozen, and for “emergency” lunches for work (i.e., when we have no leftovers), I freeze some Indian chicken and rice together in a plastic container, which I then pop out into a glass container to heat up in the microwave at school.
This recipe is quite versatile. You can adjust the spiciness to your taste, and if you want to make it a vegetarian meal, you can substitute vegetables such as steamed, cubed potatoes and canned chickpeas. I have never tried to make it vegan, but you could try eliminating the butter, and perhaps there are vegan yogurt substitutions that would work. Be sure to let me know if you find a substitution that you like, whether it’s with different vegetables or in place of the butter and yogurt!
Indian Chicken with Cauliflower
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons canola oil or ghee
1 large onion, chopped
4 teaspoons regular (not spicy) curry powder
4 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon regular chili powder, or to taste
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or 1 teaspoon dried
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or through a press, or to taste
1-2 jalapeños, seeded, ribs removed, and minced, or to taste
1½ cups tomato purée
8 ounces unsalted butter
12 ounces plain Greek-style yogurt (not non-fat)
½ cup golden raisins (optional)
½ cup cashews or slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chicken in a roasting pan. Place cauliflower in another roasting pan and drizzle olive oil over, add salt and ¼ cup water. Place both pans in the oven and bake for 1 hour, checking the cauliflower occasionally to make sure it isn’t getting too soft or brown — it may need to come out sooner. Allow chicken to cool until safe to handle. Remove the skin and bones, and cut into ¾-inch cubes. This step can be done ahead, and both the chicken and cauliflower can be kept in the refrigerator. (NB: I have toyed with the idea of using a roasted chicken from the supermarket and cutting it up, but I haven’t tried this yet.)
If you have taken a break after roasting the chicken and the cauliflower, preheat oven to 350°F again.
Heat oil or melt ghee in a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add the onion and sauté until golden brown. While the onion is cooking, measure out the spices – curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and chili powder – into a small dish so it will be ready when you need it. Once the onion is golden brown, add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño and sauté until beginning to soften, making sure not to let the garlic burn.
Add the spices and stir for 30-45 seconds to release the flavors without letting them burn. Pour in the tomato purée and stir to combine, scraping up anything sticking to the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the sauce to become warm throughout. Add the butter and stir to melt. Turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt and optional raisins and nuts.
Add the chicken and cauliflower (or vegetable substitutes) to the sauce and stir to combine. Cover and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes until hot. (Time may vary depending on whether the chicken and cauliflower has been in the refrigerator.) Serve with rice or naan.