Gonzales Bistro to feature Indian Night delicacies on Nov. 19

Hello everyone. My name is Parind Vora. I am the chef/owner of Gonzales Bistro at 320 Saint George Street right of the historic Independence square. www.gonzalesbistro.com. In this column we talk cooking, tricks to cooking, and sometimes eating.

We will be doing an Indian Night on Tuesday, November 19th at Gonzales Bistro.

I thought I would segue into Indian Night by starting with Chicken Tikka Masala.

The origins of Chicken Tikka Masala are quite muddled in history. While it’s widely known as an Indian dish, it was created by in the UK to suit English tastes like ‘curry powder’. Today, it’s a beloved meal in homes and restaurants around the globe and is as prevalent as a pizza shop on Long Island as it is in England.

This recipe captures the accessibility of Indian food. Chicken Tikka Masala has a balance of spices (not spicy) and creaminess. It’s quite easy to make at home. While using ingredients like Kashmiri red chili powder and dried fenugreek leaves gives it an authentic taste do not be put off by things not found locally. All the exotic spices can be found on line in smaller quantities. This is a complicated multiday recipe but a simple one as there are basically 3 steps. So read, re-read and WRITE a plan.

DAY 1-5: buy the ingredients and wait for them to be delivered. Start Day 1: Marinate the chicken overnight

Make the sauce and let cool to room temp and refrigerate overnight to meld flavours.

Day 2: cook chicken, reheat sauce & make rice

Plate and eat quite smugly with a cheap bear or a highly aromatic white wine or a light bodied off dry red wine.

Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:

• 1 - 11⁄2 lbs boneless chicken thighs

• 1⁄2 cup White Mountain yoghurt Bulgarian mixed with 1⁄2 cup heavy cream and let

  out covered over night to thicken

• 1teaspoon or to taste Kashmiri red chili powder

• 1 teaspoon or to taste garam masala

• 1⁄4 teaspoon or to taste turmeric

• 1 teaspoon or to taste coriander powder

• 1⁄2 teaspoon or to taste cumin powder

• 1⁄2 teaspoon or to taste salt

• 1 tablespoon or to taste lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon or to taste dried fenugreek leaves

• 1 tablespoon or to taste ginger garlic paste

• 1 tablespoon or to taste vegetable oil

For the Tikka Masala Sauce:

• 5 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee (surprisingly available locally)

• 2 cups sliced onions

• 2 cups sliced red bell peppers

• 1 green chili serrano or to taste

• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

• 1 tablespoon finely minced peeled ginger or to taste

• 1 tablespoon finely minced peeled garlic or to taste

• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or to taste

• 2 teaspoons garam masala or to taste

• 1 tablespoon coriander powder or to taste

• 11⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder or to taste

• 4 teaspoons sugar or to taste

• 1 1⁄2 cups seeded & minced tomatoes (strained)

• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves

• 1⁄3 cup toasted cashew pieces ground in a food processor

• 1⁄3 cup whole toasted cashews & roughly chopped cilantro as garnish

• 2 cup hot water as needed

  How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala

  Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

1. Dry the chicken by patting them with paper napkins. Ensure there’s no excess moisture.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine red chili powder, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, oil, ginger garlic paste, yogurt, and dried fenugreek leaves Mix well.

3. Rub the marinade on the chicken thighs and cover everything with plastic wrap and refrigerate for overnight.

Step 2: Prepare the Tikka Masala Sauce

1. Heat clarified butter or ghee in a large roasting pan. Add the sliced onions and sliced red bell peppers and sauté until just softened.

2. Add ginger, garlic and green chili. Sauté until fragrant, about a minute.

3. Lower the heat and quickly stir in the red chili powder, coriander powder, garam

   masala, and cumin powder.

4. Add the tomatoes and cook on medium-high heat until the onion-tomato mixture

   thickens

5. Pour in hot water, cashew nut puree and mix well. Bring to a rolling boil, then

   cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add more water to

   keep it from drying out.

6. Let cook and refrigerate overnight for the flavours to meld

Step 3: Cook the Chicken separately:

1. Next day bring the tikka sauce to a slow simmer over low heat.

2. Char-grill the marinated thighs over high heat until well charred. Place on a sheet

   pan and cook in a pre-heated 300 F oven until the internal temp is 150 F.

3. Let rest for 10 minutes

Step 4: Finish the Tikka Masala

1. Add the grilled chicken to the simmered sauce. Turn up the heat to medium low and simmer until internal temp of chicken in 155 F

Step 5: Cook white rice (do not salt)

To plate: put rice in the middle of the plate, top with chicken thigh.

Generously top with the tika masala sauce garnish with toasted cashews and coriander leaves.

For this dish I like a medium dry Riesling from Mosel, Germany and for the red a older (8 years+) Rhone wine like a Gigondas or a Cornas

If you are drinking beer, then choose an ice cold cheap Mexican lager. Cheers!