(6 servings)
Preparation time:
Chicken kebabs: 30 minutes
Sauce: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Ever craved a heavenly rich & creamy Indian curry with perfectly grilled and charred chicken kebabs? Exactly the craving I had over the weekend and decided to make this yummy recipe for Chloe and my parents who are currently visiting. My father is a hard critic and It’s not very often that I get a nod of approval, but watching him wipe his plate clean gave me a beautiful sense of satisfaction.
I always love to grill my chicken before adding it to the sauce as the char on the chicken adds a different texture and flavor to the curry. Even better if you can grill over charcoal! I did it in the oven. If you are in a hurry and want to save time you could skip the grilling and go straight to adding the chicken to the sauce and cooking if you like.
- 1.5 pounds chicken boneless thigh
- 3 tablespoon ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- Salt pepper to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp all spice powder
- Bamboo skewers
- 2 onions chopped
- 15 no. roasted cashews
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp Black peppercorns
- 2 pinches saffron soaked in water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Method:
For the chicken kebabs
Slice the boneless chicken thighs in one inch cubes and mix with all the marinating ingredients. Set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes. Skewer the chicken and bake in the oven at 400f for 10 minutes.
Switch to broil and let the chicken get a nice char on all sides(about 10 minutes on each side). Get the chicken off the skewers and set aside in a tray. Do not throw out the juices from the chicken that would have accumulated at the bottom of the baking tray. Reserve this for the sauce.
For the curry sauce
This can be done while the chicken is being marinated and grilled. Place a non stick pan on medium flame and dry roast (without oil) the onions till golden brown. Transfer to a food processor. Do the same with the cashews and poppy seeds and add to the processor. Now grind the ingredients to a smooth paste.
In a pan, add the ghee on a medium flame and let it warm. Add in the bay leaf and black peppercorn and sauté. Add in the paste and fry for about 5 minutes or until the paste gets a slightly darker color. Now add in the saffron along with the water it was soaked in, the paprika and the reserved chicken juices from the kebab and the chicken broth. Bring to a low boil. Add in the grilled chicken kebabs and adjust the sauce for salt and pepper. Add in the cream and stir. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with a little water as needed. (You do not want the sauce to be too thin. Note – the sauce will thicken a little after you have turned off the heat)
Top with a little heavy cream and chopped cilantro and serve with rice or tandoori roti!!
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