Chicken Ghee Roast
Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.
Suggested Use:
Anchos are great in salsa, soups, enchilada and any sauce needing mild heat and chile flavor. Chopped, pureed or ground, they can be added directly to your recipes.
Ingredients:
Chicken- 18 oz (bone in pieces)
Lemon juice- from half a lemon (about 2 tsps)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Yoghurt- 3 tbsp
Salt- to taste
To grind:
Kashmiri chilli powder- 2 tbsp
Dry red chiles- 2
Peppercorns- 1 tsp
Coriander seeds- 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp
Garlic-pods- 10, peeled
Tamarind paste- 1/2 tsp diluted in 1 tbsp water
Ghee- 4 tbsp (a little more than 1/4 cup)
Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves- to garnish (optional)
Instructions:
Clean and cut the chicken into medium size pieces. Marinate with lemon juice, turmeric powder, yoghurt and salt and keep aside for at least an hour or more (cover and refrigerate if marinating for more than an hour. I kept it over night) While that’s taken care of, dry r
oast the Kashmiri chilli powder, dry red chiles, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds for a couple of minutes, just to get the aromas going. Take care not to burn them.
Grind this along with the garlic pods and tamarind (with the water) to a smooth paste.
When ready to cook, place a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and add 2 tbsps of the ghee. Once hot, add the marinated chicken and cook till 3/4th done. Toss it around a bit so it gets cooked more or less evenly. Once done, transfer the cooked chicken and the juices released to a separate bowl.
Return the pan back on to the heat and add the remaining ghee. Add the ground masala and cook on medium heat till the oil starts resurfacing. Keep stirring in between to prevent the paste from burning and sticking to the pan.
At this point throw back in the cooked chicken along with all the stock and toss it around to coat the pieces well. Add salt if required and cook for a further couple more minutes, till the chicken is completely cooked and there is no more gravy visible. It should be sort of dry. Add the curry leaves and coriander leaves (if using), give a final stir and remove from the heat. Serve with some hot rotis or ghee rice.
From mykitchenantics.blogspot.co.uk