Kombdi, Jira Ghalun (Cumin-Scented Chicken)

Zutaten

3⅓ cups water, divided

¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt, plus extra for serving

8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped coarse

1½ tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon table salt, divided

1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 tomatoes, cored and chopped coarse

2¾ pounds chicken drumsticks (about 8 large drumsticks)

3 tablespoons cumin seeds

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped fine

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Anweisungen

1. Process ⅓ cup water, yogurt, garlic, ginger, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne in blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Transfer yogurt marinade to bowl.

2. Process tomatoes in now-empty blender until coarsely pureed, about 5 seconds. Transfer to second bowl.

3. Add chicken to bowl with yogurt marinade and toss to coat, rubbing marinade into chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (if marinating longer than 1 hour, cover and refrigerate tomatoes as well).

4. Heat cumin seeds in 8-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to powder; set aside.

5. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes; increase heat to high; and cook until mixture darkens slightly and begins to stick to bottom of pot, 5 to 7 minutes.

6. Add chicken, along with any marinade left in bowl, and remaining 3 cups water and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken registers at least 175 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Increase heat to high and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 2¾ cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir cumin into sauce. Add chicken back to pot and stir to coat with sauce. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro and passing extra yogurt separately.

Notizen

You can substitute 2 tablespoons of Indian red chile powder for the paprika and cayenne, if desired. We strongly recommend toasting and grinding your own whole cumin seeds for this recipe, but you can substitute 7 teaspoons ground cumin, if desired. If using ground cumin, toast it in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1½ minutes. This recipe can also be made with 2¾ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of the drumsticks. If using breasts, cook until the meat registers 160 degrees in step 6, 18 to 25 minutes. For a milder version of this dish, reduce the amount of cayenne to ½ teaspoon.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This simple, aromatic recipe was adapted by us from Kaumudi Marathé’s The Essential Marathi Cookbook (2009) and shared with Kaumudi by her friend Anuradha Samant. This dish proves the rule that braising meats produces deeply nuanced flavors. We first marinated the chicken in yogurt, garlic, and ginger and then braised it in a tomato-onion sauce until it was tender and cooked through. Unlike north Indian recipes, which often rely on warm spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves to add aromatic flavor, this dish calls only for freshly ground cumin, which we stirred in just before serving so that it added smoky top notes to both the chicken and the sauce. It all came together into a quick, fragrant, oh-so-satisfying dinner, served with rice or Indian bread and extra yogurt or our Onion Raita (recipe follows).