01
FRIDAY
APRIL 2016
Looking for a comforting
chicken dish? Look to India’s kadhi
By Meera Sodha
T
ype “chicken recipe” into Google and watch as millions of suggestions line up, page after page, at your beck and call. There is
no shortage of ways to cook our favorite bird. But often what I
really want when I crave chicken is something that will comfort and
soothe: a meal that is the equivalent of a good blanket, cup of tea, or a
bath of the perfect temperature. For me, this buttermilk chicken kadhi
is that dish.
Kadhi is one of India’s most popular dishes, the taste of home for
so many Indians. At its most basic, it is buttermilk or yoghurt spiced
with fenugreek and turmeric, laced with green chilies, garlic and ginger, then bound together with chickpea flour. The flour thickens the
buttermilk, turning it into a silky, deeply savory and addictive sauce.
It is a frugal dish, which is much cherished. And even though it
never graced the boilerplate Indian restaurant menus around the
world, it is cooked weekly, if not daily, in our homes.
Poaching chicken in the kadhi is not traditional (Google searches
return nothing) but, since putting the two together, I have never
looked back. Pan-frying the chicken legs first brings out the delicious
sticky caramel flavors in the skin before the buttermilk bath, which
tenderizes the leg meat magnificently. The result is impossibly soft
chicken, which falls off the bone easily, ready to dunk into a creamy,
but tart and gently spiced sauce.
As far as chicken recipes that hit the spot go, for flavor, speed and
ease, this one is hard to beat.
BUTTERMILK CHICKEN KADHI
Ingredients
Start to finish: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 pinches fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
20 fresh curry leaves
1 1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 green finger chilies, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 quart buttermilk
Preparation
In a large skillet pan over medium-high, heat the oil. When
hot, add the chicken and brown until evenly golden on all sides,
about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set
aside.
Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Return
the skillet to medium heat, then add the mustard, fenugreek,
cumin and curry leaves. Allow to sizzle for 1 minute, then add the
ginger, garlic and chilies and cook for a few minutes, or until soft
and golden.
Reduce the heat to low and add the chickpea flour, turmeric
and salt. Mix and slowly whisk in the buttermilk. Bring the buttermilk up to a very gentle simmer, then return the chicken to the
skillet. Coat with the sauce, then cover and cook for 30 minutes,
or until the chicken is soft and cooked through.
Although the chickpea flour acts as a good stabilizer, don’t be
alarmed if the buttermilk curdles while cooking. It makes no difference to the flavor and the little curds add a lovely texture to
the sauce. Serve with rice and a side salad.