Indian Chicken Masala

 

There are meals that linger long after the plates are cleared, not because they were extravagant, but because they struck something deeper. This Indian chicken masala was one of those. It came to us unexpectedly in Hong Kong, tucked inside my cousin's membership at a bustling recreation club dining hall after my boys had a morning to burn off energy in the outdoor courts by themselves with basketball and soccer. They specialize in Chinese, Indian and Malaysian cuisines 🇭🇰🇨🇳🇮🇳🇲🇾

Having had this dish last year there, I knew my boys would love it- a different non-creamy, not-too-saucy profile from the butter chicken dish their dad often make weeknights at home. Tender chicken bathed in a deeply spiced, velvety semi-gravy, with warm garlic roti on the side to scoop up every last bit. For my boys, it became the standout dish of the trip- one they'll recount when asked "what was one of your favourite eats in HK?" Then for me, it became a challenge I couldn’t resist replicating at home. 

Chicken masala, garlic roti and deep fried silken tofu 😋

Chicken masala, in its many forms, sits at the heart of Indian cooking. The word “masala” simply means a blend of spices, but it carries far more nuance than that. Each region, each household even, builds its own signature combination, layering aromatics like ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes with spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. What results is not a single fixed dish, but a spectrum of flavours, ranging from bright and tangy to rich and deeply comforting. Versions like butter chicken and chicken tikka masala have travelled far beyond India, evolving along the way, but at its core, chicken masala remains a celebration of balance, warmth, and depth and one I'll be making again and again.

Indian Chicken Masala

Serves 6

2 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless, cut into bite size pieces

Marinade:

1 tsp. red chili powder (kashmiri or hot paprika) 

1 ½ tsp. garam masala (or chicken masala) 

1 tsp. turmeric

1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste 

½ tsp. salt or to taste

4 Tbsp. plain yogurt, optional

Gravy:

4 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil 

2 small bay leaf 

4 green cardamoms (optional) 

2 inch cinnamon piece or 1/4 tsp. ground 

4 to 8 cloves

2 small onions, finely chopped 

2 to 4 green chilies, to taste, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp. ginger garlic paste 

1 cup tomato puree (or deseeded fresh tomatoes and finely chopped)

1 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garam masalam, to taste

lime wedges and chopped cilantro, to serve

Basmati rice (Recipetineats)

Roti, fresh or frozen, cooked according to package directions

Place chicken to a large mixing bowl; add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, yogurt (if using) and garam masala. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. 

Heat oil in a large pan or skillet. Carefully add the whole spices- cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds to release aroma.  Add onions and green chilies. Saute them on a medium high heat for 5 mins. Then reduce the heat and saute for a few more mins. until the onions turn golden.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute, then pour the tomato puree. Add salt and garam masala; saute until the mixture begins to smell aromatic and release some oil, about 2 to 3 mins. 

Add marinated chicken and saute for 5 mins. Turn the flame to completely low and cook covered for 5 mins. You can add cilantro at this point, then cover the pan again and continue to cook on a low heat until chicken is completely cooked to soft and tender. 

For a semi-dry chicken masala, you don't need to add water as the chicken gets cooked in its own moisture. To make it with gravy, add a little hot water or cream during the last few mins. Cook until the gravy turns thick and chicken is cooked through. 

Serve hot not only with basmati rice but also alongside pan-fried green onion pancakes, becoming a reflection of our own table, a little South Asia, a little East Asia, and entirely ours.

Make perfect basmati rice with Recipetineats

Quick Raita: Strain 1 cup full fat 3% plain yogurt for 1 hour through a coffee filter in the fridge, add 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 mini cucumber, diced and a smidgen of ground cumin. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy with lime wedges, cilantro, cucumber wedges and yogurt (such as raita) at the table.

What I love most about this dish is its generosity. It invites adaptation, encourages intuition, and rewards patience. It is equally at home in a restaurant dining room halfway across the world as it is in a busy family kitchen on a weeknight. And perhaps that’s the magic of it. A single dish, rooted in tradition, yet endlessly open to interpretation, capable of carrying a memory from one table to another, and turning it into something new.

Full Recipe:

Indian Chicken Masala

Serves 6

2 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless, cut into bite size pieces

Marinade:

1 tsp. red chili powder (kashmiri or hot paprika) 

1 ½ tsp. garam masala (or chicken masala) 

1 tsp. turmeric

1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste 

½ tsp. salt or to taste

4 Tbsp. plain yogurt, optional

Gravy:

4 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil 

2 small bay leaf 

4 green cardamoms (optional) 

2 inch cinnamon piece or 1/4 tsp. ground 

4 to 8 cloves

2 small onions, finely chopped 

2 to 4 green chilies, to taste, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp. ginger garlic paste 

1 cup tomato puree (or deseeded fresh tomatoes and finely chopped)

1 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garam masalam, to taste

lime wedges and chopped cilantro, to serve

Basmati rice (recipe follows)

Roti, fresh or frozen, cooked according to package directions

Place chicken to a large mixing bowl; add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, yogurt (if using) and garam masala. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. 

Heat oil in a large pan or skillet. Carefully add the whole spices- cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds to release aroma.  Add onions and green chilies. Saute them on a medium high heat for 5 mins. Then reduce the heat and saute for a few more mins. until the onions turn golden. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute, then pour the tomato puree. Add salt and garam masala; saute until the mixture begins to smell aromatic and release some oil, about 2 to 3 mins. Add marinated chicken and saute for 5 mins. Turn the flame to completely low and cook covered for 5 mins. You can add cilantro at this point, then cover the pan again and continue to cook on a low heat until chicken is completely cooked to soft and tender. 

For a semi-dry chicken masala, you don't need to add water as the chicken gets cooked in its own moisture. To make it with gravy, add a little hot water or cream during the last few mins. Cook until the gravy turns thick and chicken is cooked through. 

Serve hot with rice or roti with lime wedges, cilantro and yogurt (such as raita) at the table.

Thai Pork and Basil Stir-Fry (Pad Gra Prow)

 

Pad Gra Prow (Thai Basil Stir-Fry)... has my stomach a-growl 🇹🇭🍛🤤 

Semi-fresh from my travels, you bet I have Thai food on the tip of my tongue and now fingers, finally making this super simple quintessential stir-fry dish in Thailand with ground pork. It's a budget-friendly, comfort food dish that is temptuous whenever I sit down at a Thai restaurant and crack open their menu. But need not to go to a restaurant for this no more when it's unbelievably easy to whip up at home. Each spoonful explodes with flavour and aroma from the garlic-shallot aromatics and fresh basil, complimented by the deep-fried egg on top with a runny yolk making the rice oh-so creamy 🍳! The mixture of oyster, thin and sweet soy, and fish sauce flavours the dish darn achingly scrumptious! And you gotta have some of 'em fresh Thai bird's eye chilies for kick 🌶💥

Thai Pork and Basil Stir-Fry (Pad Gra Prow) (adapted from Kiin by Nuit Regular)

Serves 4

1/3 cup neutral oil

4 eggs, cracked individually into small bowls

2 Tbsp. oyster sauce

2 Tbsp. thin/light soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce (kepas manis)

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

3 shallots or 1 small onion, thinly sliced

7 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 Thai bird chilies, thinly sliced
2 lbs. ground pork (use medium for a bit of fat)

4 long green beans, cut into 1-1/2 inches

2 long red chilies, or 1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips

Ground white or black pepper, to taste
holy basil leaves (about 2-1/2 cups packed)

To fry the eggs: heat a small pan over high heat for two mins. Add 1/4 cup oil. Slowly slide one egg into the oil, reduce the heat to medium and fry until outer edges turn crispy and brown about one minute, and cooked to desired doneness. Remove onto plate with slotted spatula (to drain excess oil). Repeat with remaining adding more oil as needed.

In a small bowl, stir together oyster, soy and fish sauces. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet/wok over medium-high heat for two mins; add 2 Tbsp. oil, shallots, garlic and Thai chilies and fry for two mins. Add the green beans and red pepper/chilies and cook for another minute. Crank up the heat to high, and add the ground pork, spread around skillet breaking it up into small bits and allowing it to crisp up for about three mins.

Add the sauce mixture. Stir-fry for two mins. until pork is cooked. Tear the basil into the skillet, and stir-fry until wilted. Add ground pepper.

To serve, divide the steamed rice between four plates; spread the rice. Top with pork and basil mixture and deep fried egg. Serve with fish sauce at the table.

To jazz it up, I added slices of crispy cucumber and tomatoes, plus bonus- 🇹🇭 Manora shrimp chips, home fried as a crunchy accompaniment 🤤!

My kids' foodie classmate was coming here to hangout and mentioned his favourite Thai dish was tom yum going, so... but of course. Dinner on me a la Thai- pad Thai, tom yum goong soup, mango salad, fried Thai shrimp chips and some homemade roasted pork belly.

And to cap it off a refreshing new Asian dessert I created- mango coconut pudding soup 🥭🥣 with prepared coconut pudding, fresh mangoes, coconut strips and crushed ice swimming in coconut milk. Love the refreshing textures! It's becoming a fave in this household! Perfect for beating the heat this summer!

FULL RECIPE:

Thai Pork and Basil Stir-Fry (Pad Gra Prow) (adapted from Kiin by Nuit Regular)

Serves 4

1/3 cup neutral oil

4 eggs, cracked individually into small bowls

2 Tbsp. oyster sauce

2 Tbsp. thin/light soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce (kepas manis)

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

3 shallots or 1 small onion, thinly sliced

7 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 Thai bird chilies, thinly sliced
2 lbs. ground pork (use medium for a bit of fat)

4 long green beans, cut into 1-1/2 inches

2 long red chilies, or 1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips

Ground white or black pepper, to taste
holy basil leaves (about 2-1/2 cups packed)

To fry the eggs: heat a small pan over high heat for two mins. Add 1/4 cup oil. Slowly slide one egg into the oil, reduce the heat to medium and fry until outer edges turn crispy and brown about one minute, and cooked to desired doneness. Remove onto plate with slotted spatula (to drain excess oil). Repeat with remaining adding more oil as needed.

In a small bowl, stir together oyster, soy and fish sauces. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet/wok over medium-high heat for two mins; add 2 Tbsp. oil, shallots, garlic and Thai chilies and fry for two mins. Add the green beans and red pepper/chilies and cook for another minute. Crank up the heat to high, and add the ground pork, spread around skillet breaking it up into small bits and allowing it to crisp up for about three mins.

Add the sauce mixture. Stir-fry for two mins. until pork is cooked. Tear the basil into the skillet, and stir-fry until wilted. Add ground pepper.

To serve, divide the steamed rice between four plates; spread the rice. Top with pork and basil mixture and deep fried egg. Serve with fish sauce at the table.

Warm Up to Korean Abalone Porridge (Jeonbokjuk)...

 

Jeonbok-juk or abalone rice porridge or congee is a variety of juk, or Korean porridge made with shellfish abalone and white short-grain rice. Abalone is regarded as a high-quality ingredient in Asian cuisines, and was often prized as a gift to the King of Korea. It's texture is plump, rubbery and dense, and like many seafood, has a briny and sweet flavour.

I love abalone, although expensive we may order them braised whole or sliced ladeled with its umami thickened sauce on top of stir-fried snowpea leaves, a popular premium Chinese banquet-style dish. In Asian supermarkets, you can easily find them frozen with their shells attached, or brined in cans, used to make Chinese soups and stews, or stir-fries with vegetables. Moreover, abalone is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, and contains many nutrients such as iodine, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, omega 3-fatty acids and contains bioactive compounds- anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory.

I came across frozen abalone on sale ($6.99 for 5 nice pieces), and with the winter chill upon us, the first food that came to mind was comfort congee, or as the Koreans call it jeonbokjuk! An ultimate cozy soothing comfort in a bowl!

Korean Abalone Porridge (Jeonbokjuk) (adapted by Maangchi.com)

Serves 4

4 to 5 frozen medium sized abalones, thawed (or canned with brine drained well)

1-1/2 cups short-grain rice, rinsed and soaked in cold water for 1 hour
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
8-9 cups of water
1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs (optional)
2 sheets of gim (seaweed paper), toasted, and crushed

Note: prepare to your taste: add more or less fish sauce, kosher salt, toasted sesame oil, or water.

Great Substitute: Replace abalone with conch, mussels, clams, shrimp, or even ground beef. 

If the abalone are still in the shells, gently and firmly pry them out with a spoon. Gently rinse and pat dry. Remove the intestines by cutting them out; set aside. Score the abalone flesh on an angle, then thinly slice on the opposite bias.

In a colander, strain the rice. 

Heat a thick-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the sesame oil and garlic and stir with a wooden spoon for 10 to 20 seconds. Add the abalone intestines if you have it, and keep stirring until well combined.  Add the rice and stir with the wooden spoon for one minute until the rice turns a little translucent. Add the chopped abalone and 8 cups of water. Stir and cover. Let cook over medium high heat for ten minutes. 

Add carrot and green onions. Lower the heat and cook for another ten minutes. 

If you like your porridge a bit more liquidy, add one more cup of water and let it cook for a few more minutes over low heat. Add fish sauce and salt and stir it well. 

Optional: If you want a poached egg or two, crack the eggs into the porridge. Gently stir the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon so it doesn’t get burnt. Cover, turn up the heat a bit, and cook for another minute or two or until the egg is set.

Take a roasted or freshly toasted sheet of seaweed (gim) and put it in a plastic bag. Rub the sides of the bag together to crush the gim and create gimgaru (crushed seaweed flakes). 

To Serve, ladle servings of porridge into bowls and sprinkle a bit of gimgaru over each one just before eating. Serve with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and kimchi as a side dish.

Full Recipe:

Korean Abalone Porridge (Jeonbokjuk) 

Serves 4

4 to 5 frozen medium sized abalones, thawed (or canned with brine drained well)

1-1/2 cups short-grain rice, rinsed and soaked in cold water for 1 hour
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
8-9 cups of water
1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs (optional)
2 sheets of gim (seaweed paper), toasted, and crushed

Great Substitute: Replace abalone with mussels, clams, shrimp, or even ground beef. 

Note: prepare to your taste: add more or less fish sauce, kosher salt, toasted sesame oil, or water.

If they are still in the shells, gently and firmly pry them out with a spoon. Gently rinse and pat dry. Remove the intestines by cutting them out; set aside. Score the abalone flesh on an angle, then thinly slice on the opposite bias.

In a colander, strain the rice. 

Heat a thick-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the sesame oil and garlic and stir with a wooden spoon for 10 to 20 seconds. Add the abalone intestines if you have it, and keep stirring until well combined.  Add the rice and stir with the wooden spoon for one minute until the rice turns a little translucent. Add the chopped abalone and 8 cups of water. Stir and cover. Let cook over medium high heat for ten minutes. Add carrot and green onions. Lower the heat and cook for another ten minutes. 

If you like your porridge a bit more liquidy, add one more cup of water and let it cook for a few more minutes over low heat. Add fish sauce and salt and stir it well. 

Optional: If you want a poached egg or two, crack the eggs into the porridge. Gently stir the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon so it doesn’t get burnt. Cover, turn up the heat a bit, and cook for another minute or two or until the egg is set.

Take a roasted or freshly toasted sheet of seaweed (gim) and put it in a plastic bag. Rub the sides of the bag together to crush the gim and create gimgaru (crushed seaweed flakes). To Serve, ladle servings of porridge into bowls and sprinkle a bit of gimgaru over each one just before eating. Serve with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and kimchi as a side dish.

Comfort Hayashi Rice (Japanese Hashed Beef Rice)...

Have you ever heard of hashed beef rice?...  not to be mixed up with corn beef hash. Basically, it's thin slices of beef cooked with onions and mushrooms in a beef gravy but not so basic as you will read... and it's Japanese 🇯🇵! Well, a yoshoku western-influenced stew called hayashi and after tonight, it will be on rotation especially with fall on the horizon and back-to-school easy weeknight meals... The recipe was replicated from Just One Cookbook, and it turned out beautifully! A must try 👌

I was watching a missed last episode of 2017 series Samurai Gourmet on Netflix, where the lead foodie character searched high and low for a relocated restaurant in Japan to reminisce his beloved childhood dish hayashi rice.

The close camera shots of the succulent glossy demi glace being prepared with a 1-1/2 hours cooked down espagnole sauce (onions, carrots and celery in beef stock and red wine with a bouquet garni of bay leaves, thyme, black peppercorns and parsley sprigs) and then poured to stir and thicken into a 15-minute cooked flour and butter roux to chocolate brown, thus the gorgeous gravy... had me weak at the knees 🤤. A bit of a caramel nose and further seasoned with garlic, tomato paste and juice, worcestershire sauce, catsup simmered with the onions, thinly sliced beef, and white & shimeji mushrooms 🍄🍄.

Use frozen thawed sliced beef for easy convenience.

 Ahhhh.... 15 minutes later, served with hot steamed rice... heaven on a plate 🍛😇!

Amal Project at ACCT and Ramadan...

Two weeks ago, I was invited to lead the graduation day lunch cook off for the 'Amal Project' (Amal=Hope) with The Arab Community Centre of Toronto @acctonline, a program designed to assist newcomer women in integrating into Canadian society and forming friendships across cultures. It was hugely nostalgic to be in this kitchen at St. Philip's Lutheran Church, as this was the very space five years ago when the summer initiative The Neighbourhood Table began and flourished for three years as we cooked with kids and ate with the families... also with ACCT. Hopefully, we can get back to it in person safely soon 🥰.

It was a beautiful day where the ladies got to cook and socialize with each other (yes, dancing and singing too) as they prepared the utmost delish lunch feast: Lentil Soup, Chicken Mandi (Saudi Arabian version), Mushroom Alfredo Pasta, Fattoush Salad and Sfouf (a turmeric cake) 😋!

What a pleasure it was cooking and eating with these lovely ladies🌹!

April 3rd, Ramadan began and I wish everyone observing this occasion, Ramadan Mubarak 🙏! During this time, if you know your collegue, friend or neighbour is celebrating Ramadan, say to them "mashallah" which means "that good things has happened under God's will." It is the ultimate heart-felt wish and blessing! 💕 May we all give and receive kindness, compassion and understanding here and around the world!