I found this recipe by chance from our friends over at Thokalath.com. It’s one of the simplest, yet most delicious, recipes in the Northern Indian cooking tradition. Follow the recipe as a guide, not a a rulebook– you’ll want to adjust spices to your own taste and preference. How this usually goes is that I follow the recipe (although I’m always over-generous with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon). Then when all the spices have settled, I take a deep breath and think: gotta have more ginger.

What you will need

3 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 cup water
1 inch cube of ginger
2 tablespoons water
4 cloves garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons oil
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods (green if you can find them)
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

I start by mixing 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt together and setting aside.

Soak long grain basmati rice in water. If you’re really feeling gung-ho, you can rinse it seven times. This, my brother tells me, is the traditional Indian way to purify rice. And it makes it delightfully tasty if you add a few jasmine petals, but let’s be serious, who has jasmine petals? Mint might suffice, in its stead.

Then blend 1 cup of water with a good hunk of ginger and 4 cloves of garlic. If you don’t want your blender to smell like garlic for the rest of its life, cover it with aluminum foil and afterwards, blend the used lemon with water and let it soak for a while.

Cut up the chicken into cubes. If you’re really feeling adventurous, use a whole chicken. In a hot skillet with oil, brown the chicken. The outside should be slightly browned, the inside should be really, really raw. This will help it stay tender and moist, as it “stews” in the sauce.

The Sauce

Put the chicken aside and turn the heat down to low. Crush two cinnamon sticks, a small handful of cardamom pods, and 10 cloves and throw them in the pan with two bay leaves and hot pepper flakes. Stir these around for a bit, then add the garlic/ginger mix and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. I usually rinse the blender out and add this extra cup of liquid to the mixture. Stir for a minute, then add the tomato/yogurt mixture and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add the chicken and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Once cooked, pick the chicken out, and spoon the sauce on top, avoiding those tasty, yet not-to-be-chewed, spices.

About the author

Wilson Whitaker lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. You can read his occasional musings on his blog.