South Indian Garlic Chicken recipe with video

[h4ppy-chris]

h4ppy-chris,

when u say nailed i guess pretty much same as from TA. if so what would you say made the difference or was it all 4.

please post pic of the frozen garlic if it's something we should look out for.

ps i still intend to test out a few ideas on the garlic and will post if i get anywhere (had chat with manager at my local store who said to use lurpak not butter ghee). i did try the tin chopped and tin plumb and could did not really detect a difference - i guess depends on the brand with the plum having better options and the chopped being a generic quality. i can't see TA being that choosy.

My base gravy is now where i want it, it has played a big part in this and all the other curries i make.
This garlic is my goto now, even if just making garlic bread. It just as more aroma, kind of sweet smelling not like raw garlic. 3 hours later i could still taste it, but a nice taste.
The curry cooking technique i now believe is one of the most important things to get right if you want that BIR, it has changed my curries.

this garlic once de-frosted it looks opaque, but turns white once cooked. 99p for 400g

[JerryM]

h4ppy-chris,

many thanks. wanted to make sure the as spec recipe remains good.

will look out for the garlic - real good value.

[curryhell]

Just out the kitchen having made this.  As Chris is cooking in his video, he says what a beautiful smell.  And he is absolutely right.  Throughout the cooking of this dish the smells in the kitchen are some of the best.  I've no time to post results now as i've mushroom bhaji to make and "naga" sauce.  Made exactly as per recipe in the precise order using Zaal base and mix powder.  The only thing i did was to reduce the pureed plumb tomatoes down to two good chef spoons.  Looking at the restaurant video, their ladel wasn't full so i thought 150ml was a bit over the top.
All i can say is that if anybody is thinking of making this dish, go and do it before cooking any other curry dish.  The flavours are wonderful, well balanced, loads of depth and the smell is divine.  Excellent work Chris.  Definitely one that will be repeated.  Full report and curry porn later  ;D

At last time to provide a little more information when i cooked this dish for the first time.  I have to say that this will be a regular dish of mine now as I love the complex flavours which  mingle well  with fried garlic. 
When you look at the ingredient list, there is nothing out of the norm other than the large amount of garlic and the use of blended tomatoes as opposed to diluted tomato paste.  Put all this together in the suggested order and you end up with a dish that just explodes flavour.  Obviously, there a good garlic background but it far from overpowers the dish.  The garlic is well balanced by the tarka of onions and green pepper and the addition of the red pepper a little later.  The blended tomatoes add to the texture of the dish as well as adding a much milder tomato flavour than would be present if diluted paste is used.  Plus the extra liquid requires more reduction, only adding to the depth of the flavour.  Here's a few pics of me putting the dish together:

the ingredients



the garlic and the tarka:



in goes the gravy and the smell starts to hit the nose



Followed up with the red pepper and fresh chillis, meethi and coriander. The smell now becomes so divine 



In with the blended tomato, mix powder and chilli powder and fry off.  Then add half the base



Followed by the meat and reduce down



Add the remaining base and cook until the oil starts to separate and serve



A closer look



And serve with Little India mushroom bhaji and my keema rice



And three days later I repeat the whole excersice again but ramp the SIG up to vindaloo



and serve it with my mushroom pulao and my dry saag bhaji, perfected at long last 



Decisions, Elaichi North Indian Special or South Indian Garlic chicken tonight :

[Secret Santa]

Excellent report CH!

I agree with your comment that you wouldn't think anything special about this from the ingredients list because that's exactly what I thought too and have been holding off trying it for that very reason. With such a glowing report though I'm looking forward to making one now.

Your note about the extra liquid requiring more reduction is interesting for me because this is how I do all my curries, adding extra water if necessary, because I find most bases too thick and the extra boiling down definitely increases the flavour.

And to echo what H4ppy Chris said in an earlier post, the magic (or secret) is definitely in the way you cook curry, once you have a half reasonable base.

[curryhell]

Excellent report CH!

I agree with your comment that you wouldn't think anything special about this from the ingredients list because that's exactly what I thought too and have been holding off trying it for that very reason. With such a glowing report though I'm looking forward to making one now.

Cheers SS.  I was knocked off my feet when i tasted it   It was that good.  Providing the chef doesn't have an off night, you won't be disappointed with this little beauty

Your note about the extra liquid requiring more reduction is interesting for me because this is how I do all my curries, adding extra water if necessary, because I find most bases too thick and the extra boiling down definitely increases the flavour.

I always split my base and reduce the first half heavily.  The remainder is then reduced to the consistancy I want for the finished dish.  I too add a little water if i think the dish has reduced too quickly and there is a risk of not getting the depth of flavour i look for.  It has the added advantage of getting the heat out of the chilli powder too ;D

And to echo what H4ppy Chris said in an earlier post, the magic (or secret) is definitely in the way you cook curry, once you have a half reasonable base.

I think this has been a regular theme of 2012.  No matter how good your ingredients, if you don't cook it right, it may be edible but it certainly won't reach its full potential and may lead to disappointment 

[stevejet66]

Nice work mate, nice work! looks superb, excellent presentation,

[JerryM]

lovely post CH (as always).

the other thing that struck me on this recipe was that i did not change any of the qty* and is not the norm for me as it's very rare i find a recipe that works spot on 1st time. in short ingredients and balance were right.



*other than mix powder which i still need to experiment more with myself - i've settled on 0.5 tsp for a long time yet know larger amounts are being used by members successfully ie ~ 1 tbsp.

[h4ppy-chris]

Fantastic CH just great.

[Secret Santa]

I've just polished off my first effort at this. I used my own base and mix powder so bear that in mind. I didn't really get any smells coming off the curry while cooking or, that is to say, no smells that I don't get off any curry I make. I cut the garlic quite thickly but it had disappeared in the finished curry but there was a nice background garlic flavour to the dish.

I liked the curry and would make it again but it doesn't seem in any way special or spectacular and given the ingredients that didn't really surprise me. It seemed to me to be a more garlicky version of a madras but, as I mentioned, I used my own base and mix powder so it isn't really a fair test.

[JerryM]

Secret Santa,

its the difference between very good (most TA) and best (few). the fav TA & Restaurant that i know well both have different versions to this recipe. i'm hopeful over the next year if i've got the basic information to get this dish up to best category. the zaal garlic is another factor to build on too.

at the moment i'm going to add in my recent purchase of chilly chutney. i also suspect a little red massala goes in too. then its down to getting the garlic right - a hint of smokey/burn to the garlic is needed. as you say the garlic in at the start disappears into the dish (although i still think it's needed)

i'm also going to try our chilli sauce in there too.