This chicken dish, combining nuts and saffron, is delicately flavored with a creamy sauce. To make the spices more aromatic, it is best to dry-roast them as suggested in the recipe, rather than use ready-ground ones.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) chicken or chicken pieces
- 6 cardamom pods
- ½ teaspoon cilantro (coriander) seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cm (¾ inch) cinnamon stick
- 8 peppercorns
- 6 cloves
- 100 g (2/3 cup) blanched almonds
- 75 g (½ cup) shelled pistachios
- 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5 cm (2 inch) piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 125 ml (½ cup) chicken stock
- 250 ml (1 cup) thick plain yoghurt
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
Method:
If using a whole chicken, cut it into eight pieces by removing both legs and cutting between the joint of the drumstick and thigh. Cut down either side of the backbone and remove the backbone. Turn the chicken over and cut through the cartilage down the center of the breastbone. Remove the skin from the chicken and cut the flesh off the bones. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. (You can reserve the carcass for making stock if you wish.)
Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods. Place a small frying pan over low heat and dry-roast the cilantro seeds until aromatic. Remove and dry-roast the cumin seeds, then the piece of cinnamon stick. Grind the cardamom seeds, roasted spices, peppercorns and cloves to a fine powder using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Finely chop the almonds and pistachios in a food processor or spice grinder, or with a knife.
Heat the ghee or oil in a karhai or casserole over low heat and fry the onion until golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken and fry rapidly for about 5 minutes. Add the ground spices and the chicken stock and simmer, covered tightly for 30 minutes.
Stir the ground nuts into the yoghurt. Mix the saffron with 1 teaspoon of hot water. Add the yoghurt and the saffron to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.
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