Yoghurt chicken

The sweetness of cooked onion balances the tang of yoghurt in this Indian curry.

Yoghurt chicken. Credit: Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield

• serves

  8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1.3 kg chicken, skinned and jointed into equal pieces (see Note)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, slit (optional)
• 2 small or one large black cardamom pods
• handful of finely chopped coriander stalks and leaves
• naan breads, to serve

Marinade

• 35 g garlic, around 7 fat cloves, peeled
• 20 g ginger, peeled
• 400 g yoghurt
• 4 tsp coriander powder
• ½-1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 rounded tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• ½ tsp cumin powder

Marinating time: at least one hour but ideally overnight

Instructions

1. Cut some slashes in the chicken pieces at 1 cm intervals or prick all over; this will allow the flavours to penetrate.
2. Puree the ginger and garlic with some of the yoghurt for a smooth paste then stir in the remaining marinade ingredients. Add to the chicken in a bowl, toss to coat and leave to marinate, in the fridge, for as long as possible. I leave mine overnight but you can leave for as little as an hour. Bring back to room temperature before proceeding.
3. Pour the chicken and the marinade into a large saucepan or karahi (see Note) and place over a high flame.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan and fry the chillies and the onion until soft, around 6 minutes. Once done, add to the chicken along with the cardamom pods, stirring until it comes to a simmer. Continue cooking over a high flame until the watery curry becomes creamy and only covers one third of the chicken, about 15-20 minutes.
5. Then cover and cook the chicken, over a very low flame, until it is tender and the gravy is rich and creamy, another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure there is enough water in the pan and adding a splash if necessary. Stir in the coriander, check the seasoning and serve.

 

Note

• Joint the chicken into equal pieces so that the breast is cut into two (your butcher will do this for you).
• A karahi, also called a kadai, is a deep circular cooking pot, often with two handles, used in Indian and South Asian cooking.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.