On the Table: Murgh Masala

I adore Indian food, but somehow in my mind it is intimidating to attempt at home.  Every time I do it though, I am thrilled with the results!  Last night I decided to give it a try, and once again I was so happy I did.  I have a wonderful cookbook called The Food of India that I use as my go-to guide. 

Usually when I cook, I pretty much make things up as I go along.  However, for Indian food, the beauty is really in the combinations of flavors and spices, and since I am not intuitively familiar with how the different flavors combine, I really rely on recipes in this case.  The Food of India also provides lots of background information, and is really good about providing substitutions for equipment and ingredients that might not be available in an American kitchen. 

I made Murgh Masala, though I made some changes to the recipe as I went based on the ingredients I had available.  Apparently I was a little spacey last night - I completely forgot to take pictures as I went!  I must have been really engrossed in the recipe :) 

To prepare:

In a large mixing bowl, combine half a teaspoon of ground cumin; half a teaspoon of coriander seeds, crushed with a morter and pestle

(or you could use ground coriander); half a teaspoon of turmeric; and half a teaspoon of garam masala.  Cut two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and add them into the bowl.  Stir well, until all the chicken is coated in the spices.

Finely chop one white onion, two cloves of garlic, and six cherry tomatoes.  In a small bowl, combine half a teaspoon of ground ginger, half the chopped onion, and the chopped garlic and tomatoes.  Stir well to combine.

Put a large skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom of the pan with canola oil.  When the oil gets hot, add in the other half of the chopped onion; half a teaspoon of clove powder, and half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Cook until the onions start to brown.  Add in the onion/garlic/tomato mixture and stir well to combine.  Cook for a few more minutes.  Add in a healthy dash of salt and stir well to combine. 

Add the chicken mixture to the pan, along with six ounces of Greek yogurt and about 1/3 of a cup of chicken stock.  Stir well.  When the liquid comes up to a simmer, cover the pan and allow to cook for 45-50 minutes.  Remove the lid and allow to cook for about 10 more minutes, or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve over rice.  (I did remember to get a picture of the finished product!)

Enjoy!