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Indian Chicken Curry, Crispy Chicken Skin and an Apple and Cucumber Pickle
Recipe by Justin Narayan
Try this authentic Indian chicken curry, made with all the traditional spices and flavours as well as a few hidden surprises inside!
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Crispy Chicken Skin
Curry Sauce
Chilli Chutney
Cauliflower Puree
Cucumber and Apple Pickle
Chicken Breast
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Steps
- 1. Preheat oven to 180C fan forced.
- 2. To prepare the chicken, use fingers to separate the skin from the chicken then carefully remove in one piece. Place chicken skin in a single layer onto a lined baking tray. Remove the breasts from the chicken, place into a bowl and set aside in the fridge. Remove the Marylands and reserve for another use. Chop the wings and carcass into small pieces and set aside.
- 3. For the Crispy Chicken Skin, sprinkle the chicken skin with turmeric and salt. Cover with a sheet of baking paper and a second baking tray so the skin stays flat.
- 4. Bake in the oven until golden and crisp, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover and set aside on a sheet of paper towel.
- 5. For the Curry Sauce, place a deep frypan over medium high heat. Add oil and chopped chicken bones and cook, stirring until golden. Reduce the heat to medium.
- 6. Add onion and cook until slightly caramelised, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
- 7. Meanwhile, place curry leaves, whole spices and chana dal into a dry frypan and toast till fragrant, swirling the pan occasionally. Allow to cool slightly then blend into a fine powder using a spice grinder.
- 8. Transfer 2 teaspoons of the spice mix to the frypan along with the chilli powder, turmeric, smoked paprika. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 9. Add coriander leaves, tomato and water to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
- 10. Once reduced, add soy sauce then strain through a large fine sieve into a saucepan. Place onto a medium heat and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and lemon. Add the cream then butter, stirring continuously until combined. Remove from heat. Transfer to a jug when ready to serve.
- 11. For the Chilli Chutney, place the chillies into a small food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves and cumin seeds and process until very finely chopped but not pureed.
- 12. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan with the mustard oil and salt. Place over a low heat and cook, stirring regularly until reduced and thickened. Add lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cumin powder and enough vinegar and salt to balance the chutney so that it is little sour and salty. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- 13. For the Cauliflower Puree, cut the cauliflower into florets and place into a saucepan along with milk and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
- 14. Strain off and reserve milk, leaving approximately ¼ cup of milk in the saucepan. Use a stick blender to process cauliflower to a puree. Add a little reserved cooking milk if required then add butter and salt to taste and process until smooth. Pass through a sieve and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
- 15. For the Cucumber and Apple Pickle, using a mandolin on the thinnest setting, slice the cucumber and apple and place into a medium bowl.
- 16. Dress with remaining ingredients and set aside in the fridge until required.
- 17. For the Chicken Breasts, add oil, spices and salt to the chicken, toss to coat then allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
- 18. Heat a medium, oven-proof frypan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear each side for 2 minutes. Add butter to the pan and when melted, baste the chicken.
- 19. Transfer pan to the oven for and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Slice each breast in half lengthways to serve.
- 20. To serve, place a portion of chicken breast onto each plate. Add some drained pickle and a shard of chicken skin. Add some puree and some chutney. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with the jug of sauce on the side. Preheat oven to 180C fan forced.
- To prepare the chicken, use fingers to separate the skin from the chicken then carefully remove in one piece. Place chicken skin in a single layer onto a lined baking tray. Remove the breasts from the chicken, place into a bowl and set aside in the fridge. Remove the Marylands and reserve for another use. Chop the wings and carcass into small pieces and set aside.
- For the Crispy Chicken Skin, sprinkle the chicken skin with turmeric and salt. Cover with a sheet of baking paper and a second baking tray so the skin stays flat.
- Bake in the oven until golden and crisp, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover and set aside on a sheet of paper towel.
- For the Curry Sauce, place a deep frypan over medium high heat. Add oil and chopped chicken bones and cook, stirring until golden. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add onion and cook until slightly caramelised, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
- Meanwhile, place curry leaves, whole spices and chana dal into a dry frypan and toast till fragrant, swirling the pan occasionally. Allow to cool slightly then blend into a fine powder using a spice grinder.
- Transfer 2 teaspoons of the spice mix to the frypan along with the chilli powder, turmeric, smoked paprika. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add coriander leaves, tomato and water to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
- Once reduced, add soy sauce then strain through a large fine sieve into a saucepan. Place onto a medium heat and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and lemon. Add the cream then butter, stirring continuously until combined. Remove from heat. Transfer to a jug when ready to serve.
- For the Chilli Chutney, place the chillies into a small food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves and cumin seeds and process until very finely chopped but not pureed.
- Transfer mixture to a small saucepan with the mustard oil and salt. Place over a low heat and cook, stirring regularly until reduced and thickened. Add lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cumin powder and enough vinegar and salt to balance the chutney so that it is little sour and salty. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- For the Cauliflower Puree, cut the cauliflower into florets and place into a saucepan along with milk and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Strain off and reserve milk, leaving approximately ¼ cup of milk in the saucepan. Use a stick blender to process cauliflower to a puree. Add a little reserved cooking milk if required then add butter and salt to taste and process until smooth. Pass through a sieve and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
- For the Cucumber and Apple Pickle, using a mandolin on the thinnest setting, slice the cucumber and apple and place into a medium bowl.
- Dress with remaining ingredients and set aside in the fridge until required.
- For the Chicken Breasts, add oil, spices and salt to the chicken, toss to coat then allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Heat a medium, oven-proof frypan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear each side for 2 minutes. Add butter to the pan and when melted, baste the chicken.
- Transfer pan to the oven for and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Slice each breast in half lengthways to serve.
- To serve, place a portion of chicken breast onto each plate. Add some drained pickle and a shard of chicken skin. Add some puree and some chutney. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with the jug of sauce on the side.
