Chicken Tarka – Joy’s favorite

My sister and family came for the weekend, so I figured this would make for a good opportunity to try out some new recipes. I thought I’d try one of the many Asian recipes in the collection. There are so many of those and sorting among them isn’t easy, but then I found one that said “Joy’s favorite”. That’s how uncle Archie labeled this recipe, so I just had to try it.

Chicken Tarka is an Indian recipe, similar to the well known Chicken Tikka with its velvety curry sauce–just a little spicier. Making it was fun because the smell in the kitchen when frying the spices is just heavenly. The spices are not unusual in our kitchen, but this specific combination and the right quantities created a new taste for us. I think a great deal of the magic of the Indian kitchen is in creating the right mixtures of spices.

This recipe is for a 2 1/2 -3 lb. chicken (a little over a kilo), if you make more then just increase the quantities of the curry accordingly. Cut the chicken up and fry in a little oil (you can skip the oil if the parts are fatty) lightly browning it on the outside. When finished, cover the chicken and keep warm until the curry is ready. In the recipe Archie suggests microwaving the chicken parts in a dish covered with plastic wrap for 5 minutes. Using the microwave is cleaner and quicker but it really tastes better when fried.

Next comes the curry sauce. The best way to make it is if you prepare everything in advance, cutting chopping and all, so that nothing interferes with the cooking causing things to burn in the pot.

The ingredients

1/4 cup Oil

1 tsp. Cumin

1″ Cinnamon stick

2 green Cardamon pods

2 med Bay leaf

1/2 tsp. black Peppercorns

2 med Onions chopped

1 tbsp. chopped Garlic

2 tbsp. chopped Ginger

1 1/2 cups Tomato puree

1/2 tsp. hot Chili powder

1/2 tbsp. Sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 cup hot Water

In a big heavy pot warm up the oil, make sure the pot is big enough to hold all the chicken. Once the oil is hot add the spices, cumin cinnamon cardamon bay leaves and pepper, and sizzle for 5 seconds only. Add the chopped onions garlic and ginger and cook over medium heat until the onions fleck slightly. Now add the rest of the ingredients, tomato puree chili sugar salt and water, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Once the sauce is ready we add the chicken parts in to cook, first we insert the dark chicken parts and let it simmer for 15 minutes covered then we add the white chicken parts and cook it all for 10 more minutes.

The recipe is very accurate with regards to the cooking times, but I think it could also work out very well if the chicken was left to simmer longer. We had it in the slow cooker for some time…

Finally, Archie’s finishing touches- remove the chicken parts into a serving dish you can keep warm and strain the gravy into a bowl. Pour the vegetable residue from the strainer back on the chicken. Using a fat separating cup remove the fat from the gravy and return the skimmed gravy on to the chicken. Just before serving heat the chicken tarka for 5 min. but make sure not to boil so the curry doesn’t spoil. Lastly, add 1 tsp. of Garam Masala, stir it in and serve.

First to try out the chicken were the twins, who got their dinner before everyone else. I wouldn’t consider this to be baby food–it is spicy although not hot–but they loved it. As for the rest of us, I think we can call it another great success. But don’t take my word for it.  I made everyone around the table promise they would comment below…

RECIPES INDEX>Indian>Indian chicken>CHICKEN TARKA JOY’S FAVORITE