Chicken and potato in pickling spices

Name: Chicken and potato in pickling spices
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: 2 tbsp mustard oil or vegetable oil (see Know-how); Pinch ground asafoetida (from Ocado, Asian grocers and online); 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tsp fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp fennel seeds; 2 tsp nigella seeds; 4 dried red chillies; 2 red onions, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1½ tsp salt; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp chilli powder; 8 free-range skinless chicken pieces on the bone (I use 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks); 100ml natural yogurt; 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (see Know-how); 2 unpeeled medium potatoes, sliced into 1cm rounds

By: Chetna Makan

Published: 4 Apr 19
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Chetna Makan‘s chicken and potato curry is cooked in pickling spices for a slightly different, more interesting flavour. She says:

”It’s the mustard oil and spices – a combination normally used for pickling – that make this chicken curry taste very different. It has a deep, spicy flavour with an interesting character that’s well worth experiencing. I like to keep the skin on the potatoes to give the dish a little more body – and fibre, too. Serve this curry with chapatis or rice.”

Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min, simmering time 50-55 min

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Ingredients

2 tbsp mustard oil or vegetable oil (see Know-how)
Pinch ground asafoetida (from Ocado, Asian grocers and online)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp nigella seeds
4 dried red chillies
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
8 free-range skinless chicken pieces on the bone (I use 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks)
100ml natural yogurt
2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (see Know-how)
2 unpeeled medium potatoes, sliced into 1cm rounds

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat until smoking hot. Add the asafoetida and sizzle for a few seconds, then stir in all the seeds and dried red chillies.
Increase the heat to medium and sizzle for about 1 minute more, ensuring the seeds don’t burn. Once they start to change colour, add the onions and cook for 10-12 minutes until the onions are golden brown.
Stir the garlic and ginger into the pan and cook for another minute, then mix in the tomato purée, salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Mix well.
Add the chicken pieces to the saucepan, increase the heat to high and stir for 2 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until the chicken is half cooked (see tip).
Mix the yogurt and Kashmiri chilli powder together in a bowl. Stir this mixture into the saucepan and add the potato rounds. Combine well, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently over a low heat for 20-25 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Recipe from February 2019 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 421kcals
Fat: 11.9g (2.5g saturated)
Protein: 48.2g
Carbohydrates: 5.2g (8.3g sugars)
Fibre: 5.2g
Salt: 0.7g

delicious. tips

Kashmiri chilli powder is mild. Buy it from large supermarkets, Asian stores or souschef.co.uk. If you can’t find it, use another mild chilli powder. Mustard oil must be labelled ‘for external use only’ by EU law because it contains high levels of erucic acid. Used in small amounts in cooking it’s safe, but if you prefer, use vegetable oil instead. Buy mustard oil in Asian shops and online at asiancookshop.co.uk.

Don’t be put off by the lack of liquid in this dish; lots will come out of the chicken and potatoes and make a rich sauce.
Cool the cooked dish completely and keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan to serve.

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