Kadai Chicken with Fresh-Toasted Coriander-Chile Masala

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A restaurant-style karahi chicken built on a masala you toast and grind yourself: whole coriander seed, dried red chiles and a little cumin, hit in a screaming-hot pan so the spice blooms instead of stewing. The chicken sears in batches, the tomatoes cook down into a tight, glossy masala, and the onion and bell pepper go in last so they stay snappy and bright. Twenty minutes of real cooking for a dish that tastes like a $23 entree.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4 dried red chiles (Kashmiri or byadgi), stems snapped off
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 small piece cinnamon or cassia bark (1 inch)
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1 tbsp each minced ginger and garlic)

• 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch petals, layers separated
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 tbsp ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
• 2 green chiles (serrano), slit lengthwise
• 1 lb ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 3 medium)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 2 tbsp heavy cream or 2 tbsp yogurt, optional
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• warm naan, roti or basmati rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Toss the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt, the turmeric, yogurt and ginger-garlic paste in a bowl. Let it sit at room temperature while you make the masala and cut the vegetables — 20 to 30 minutes is plenty.
2. Make the kadai masala: set a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, dried chiles, cumin, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and fennel. Toast, shaking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the coriander smells nutty and the chiles darken a shade and turn fragrant. Do not let them blacken. Tip onto a plate to cool for 5 minutes, then grind to a coarse, sandy powder in a spice grinder or mortar. You want visible texture, not dust. Set aside.
3. Prep everything else before you turn on the heat: onion petals, bell pepper squares, ginger matchsticks, slit green chiles and chopped tomatoes each in their own pile. This cooks fast and there is no time to chop mid-stream.
4. Heat a 12-inch carbon-steel wok, cast iron skillet or heavy sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes, until a drop of water skitters. Add 2 tbsp of the oil and swirl. Add half the chicken in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes, then toss and cook 1 minute more, until browned in patches but not cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set all the chicken aside.
5. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan, still over high heat. Add the ginger matchsticks and green chiles and stir for 20 seconds. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tsp salt and 2 heaping tablespoons of the ground kadai masala. Scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the pan.
6. Reduce to medium-high and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 9 minutes, mashing them with the back of your spoon, until the mixture darkens to brick red, pulls away from the sides of the pan, and you see oil separating at the edges. This is the whole flavor of the dish — do not rush it. Splash in 2 tbsp water if it catches.
7. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan. Stir to coat, add 1/4 cup water, cover and simmer over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F at the center of a piece).
8. Uncover, raise the heat to high, and add the onion petals and both bell peppers. Toss hard and constantly for 2 to 3 minutes only — the peppers should be blistered at the edges and still audibly crisp, the onion layers just barely translucent. The sauce should now be thick and clinging, not soupy; cook 1 minute longer if needed.
9. Kill the heat. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms directly into the pan, stir in the cream if using, then the lemon juice, half the cilantro, and another 1/2 tsp of the ground masala for a fresh top note. Taste and adjust salt.
10. Scatter the rest of the cilantro over the top and serve straight from the pan with warm naan, roti or basmati rice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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