Indian Inspiration
I feel so fortunate to live in a time and place where I get to experience such a wide array of cuisines. For many in this world and for most across history, cuisine is purely local, without any opportunity to try something from the other side of the globe. With that in mind, in last week’s Berkshire Eagle column, I wrote about a very versatile recipe which takes its cues from the flavors of India.
The beauty of this dish, which we call Indian chicken in our house, lies in the sauce which can enhance so many ingredients. While I like to make it by roasting the chicken breasts myself, you can make it more easily with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I’ve also made it vegetarian by replacing the chicken with more vegetables. Although I haven’t tried it with shrimp (as my husband is allergic to shellfish), I bet that would be good too.
CURRYING FAVOR
by Elizabeth Baer
As hot as it has been this summer – and we likely have some remaining warm days still to come over the next month or so – a bit of chill in the morning air means the end of summer is fast approaching and it’s almost time to go back to school. Or not! This is the first year that I am not going back to school in the last days of August. Now, to be fair, I mostly was no longer teaching in the 2023-2024 school year, but for a couple reasons (including a program I needed to manage in the first half of September), I didn’t retire until a few weeks into the school year.
Nonetheless, I still remember how every aspect of life becomes a logistical balancing act as soon as school starts. Whether you are a teacher or have school-aged kids at home or both, it just gets crazy, so I decided to offer up a recipe that can cover more than one dinner, or perhaps a dinner and a bunch of lunches to take to work.
This family favorite is surely not exactly how one would make such a recipe in India, and it’s probably not how an Indian family elsewhere in the world might have adapted something from home, but it does take its inspiration from the rich spices of the Indian subcontinent. Although we usually make a large batch so we can enjoy it for dinners over a few days, you can halve the recipe if you prefer. When I took my lunch to work, I would pack some Indian chicken and rice together in a plastic container, which I then popped out into a glass container to heat up in the microwave at school. (These days any leftovers that go into the freezer, whether this dish or any others, often end up going to one of our adult children when we visit them, or they visit here.)
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 potatoes or canned chickpeas. I have never tried to make it vegan, but I don’t think the butter is absolutely necessary, 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 vegan substitutes in place of the butter and yogurt!
INDIAN CHICKEN WITH CAULIFLOWER AND VARIATIONS
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
Proteins and Vegetables – Choose one or more, adjusting quantities as needed
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 eggplant, cut into ½-inch thick halfmoons
1 Yukon Gold potato, cut into ½-inch thick halfmoons
8 ounces paneer, cut into ½-¾-inch cubes
Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil or ghee
1 large onion, chopped
4 teaspoons regular (not hot) curry powder
4 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon regular chili powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or through a press, or to taste
1-2 jalapeños, minced, or to taste
2 cups tomato purée
4 ounces unsalted butter (optional)
16 ounces plain Greek-style yogurt (not nonfat)
½ cup golden raisins (optional)
½ cup cashews or slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
The most common iteration in our household uses the 4 pounds of chicken and a head of cauliflower. If choosing other protein and vegetables, aim for a similar volume for the amount of sauce given here. (Of course, no one complains about extra sauce, at least not in my house, especially if there’s plenty of rice to soak it up.)
If using raw chicken and cauliflower, preheat oven to 350°F. Place chicken in a roasting pan, no salt, pepper, or oil needed. 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 brown. Allow chicken to cool (or take out the store-bought rotisserie chicken), 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.
If you have taken a break after roasting the chicken and 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.
Add the chicken and cauliflower (or substitutes) to the sauce and stir to combine. Cover and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes until hot and any raw vegetables, if using, are cooked through. (Time may vary depending on whether the chicken and cauliflower have been in the refrigerator.) Add the nuts and cilantro for garnish, if desired. Serve with rice or naan, and chutney as a condiment.