I’m stocking up on some excellent chicken breasts at my outlet, Culturekurry Foods, so it felt right for me to prepare a fitting tribute to this fine piece of meat. I thought, let’s get started and cook some aromatic, mildly spiced Chicken Afghani to serve alongside salad and rice. The recipe includes my usual twist: instead of searing and lightly frying the chicken, then cooking it in gravy, I lightly marinate it with a few spices, cook it partially in the oven, and prepare the gravy separately. (This results in chicken that’s crunchier and juicier.) For sides, you can serve almost anything—bread, rice (as I prefer), or simply a plain salad. The chicken itself becomes the star of the table. Do try it and let me know how your dish turns out. Happy cooking!
Ingredients ( for two ):
Chicken Breast Boneless – 450 gms
For the marinade:
Cashewnut paste – 2 tbsp
Black Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped garlic – 1 tbsp
Garam Masala – a pinch
Melted Butter – 2 tbsp
Salt – a pinch
For the gravy:
Onion – 100 gm
Green Chillies – 5 gm
Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
Crushed Black Pepper – a pinch
Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Beaten Curd – 30 ml
Unsweetened cream – 2 tbsp
Salt – as per taste
Green Cardamom – 2
Bay leaf – 1
Fresh Coriander ( chopped ) – for garnish
Oil – 20 ml
Method:
1 ) Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and whisk well. Make a few slits on the chicken breast. Smear the marinade well. Place in the oven and bake at 220 degrees while setting the timer for eighteen minutes.
2 ) In the meanwhile, grind the onion, green chillies, coriander powder and black pepper.
3 ) Heat oil in a pan. Saute the bay leaf and cardamom lightly. Add the ground onion chilli paste and saute further for a minute. Add the beaten curd and little water. Mix well.
4 ) Reduce the flame to a minimal and let it cook for 10 minutes. Make sure the gravy is thick in consistency. Add unsweetened cream and salt. Mix well and set aside. Remove the chicken breast from oven and serve alongside with gravy. Garnish with chopped coriander. ( I love pairing the chicken with steamed corn and capsicum salad and buttered rice )
