Chef’s Corner: Gurmeet Bhatia - Rich and flavourful…

Food station: A simple tasty chicken recipe to pair with naan or lachcha parantha

A simple tasty chicken recipe.

This is an ideal one-dish recipe to go with your bread. The almonds and the curd make the gravy a rich affair. The recipe has been sent to us by Chef Gurmeet Bhatia of Pind Balluchi group of restaurants in New Delhi.

Almond ChickenIngredients

1 kg chicken, cut into medium-sized curry pieces

1 tsp garam masala

1-2 tbsp oil / ghee

1 large onion, chopped finely

1/2 inch ginger, chopped finely

6 garlic cloves, chopped finely

4 tbsp almond paste

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 cup whisked curd

1/2 cup milk

Few saffron strands

10 dried apricots

Salt as required

Method

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed vessel and add the chopped onion and roast till it is soft. Add the ginger and garlic to it and saute till the raw smell vanishes.

Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle the garam masala powder and roast till the mixture release a sharp aroma. Now reduce the heat, add the spice powders and continue roasting till the raw smell disappears. Add little water and mix well till everything is properly blended and oil start clearing on top.Add the whisked curd, mix in low flame and simmer for few minutes for everything to be blended well.

When the oil clears on top, add the almond paste and mix it in. Simmer this gravy again for few minutes. Meanwhile, boil the milk and drop the saffron strands in it. Stir and add this to the simmering gravy. Add the chicken pieces, apricots and salt to this. Mix well to coat with the gravy. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook by closing the lid till the chicken is cooked well and oil clears on top. Mix the gravy well so that the entire mixture will turn exotic and creamy.

Remove the chicken pieces to the serving bowl. Heat just the gravy again to make it a thicker, nuttier one. Finally, pour this thick gravy over the delicately-cooked chicken. Serve with hot tandoori roti or lachcha parantha.

Gurmeet Bhatia is the regional chef of Pind Baluchi group of restaurants in Delhi. Trained by the late noted chef Ghulam Rasool, Chef Bhatia specialised in North Indian cuisine at the then Inter Continental/ Holiday Crowne Plaza (now The Lalit). From working on-the-line, he was promoted to Chef-de-Partie at the Balluchi restaurant. He also worked at the Taj Air Caterer’s Commissary and The Taj Palace and InterContinental Hotel.