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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Khalonji Chicken


In general, almost any yoghurt-based marinade works brilliantly with chicken: tarragon and mustard, chili and spices or mint: there's a whole lot of experimenting to do and it's pretty hard to go wrong. Alternatively, there are true classics like shish taouk, which can be made with an oil-based marinade or a yoghurt-based one (the recipe linked is oil-based, just replace the oil wiht a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt).

This version is a mildly spiced, subtle marinade that'll give a tender result time after time, ideal for the grill and a rice/salad accompaniment but also fantastic when barbecued. The more time you can leave everything to marinade and combine, the better!


Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts, halved lengthways
  • 4 tbsp yoghurt
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp onion seed (kalonji)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ red onion, finely diced
  • 2” fresh ginger, grated
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Mix everything together and then add the chicken. Marinate for as long as you can, then lay the chicken pieces out on a foil-lined baking rack and grill for 5-10 minutes (depending on the ferocity of your grill!), until the surface of the chicken shows brown flecks and the meat has started to firm up, before turning to brown the other side. Serve!

2 comments:

Em said...

so this is shish tawook?

Alexander said...

No! This is!

There are two 'schools' of Shish Taouk (Shish, or sis, is Turkish for Kebab, 'Taouk' for chicken: it's an Ottoman kind of dish, shared down the Levant over the years): one says oil, one says yoghurt.

This is just a yoghurt marinated chicken recipe, probably more mildly Indian than Arab, wot I made up. It ain't da 'taouk' at all!

Anyway, shouldn't you be eating monster burgers with extra fries and barbecue cheese bacon pecan nacho sides or something right now?

:)