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Masala

firebus's picture
by firebus
05/25/2010 - 21:31

A Masala is a spice blend.

The two masala curries that you typically find on North Indian menus in the US are Chana Masala and Chicken Tikka Masala (the latter is a classic fake ethnic dish, supposedly invented in Glasgow).

Both curries have a pretty similar flavor profile: onion, garlic, chili and ginger; tomato; garam masala, cumin, and turmeric; amchoor powder or lemon juice.

For the tikka masala, the curry is then pureed and mixed with cream before simmering with browned chicken chunks.

This recipe is still under construction, and I'm going to try to make it do double duty for both dishes.

Adapted from http://www.sailusfood.com/2006/06/07/spicy-chicken-masala-curry/ and http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/chana-masala/


Ingredients:

1 onion, minced


2 cloves garlic, minced


1 t ginger, minced


1 hot chile, minced


ground cumin, ground turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala, and chili powder or paprika


1 large tomato or 2 plum tomatoes minced, plus a little tomato paste


2 c cooked chick peas and 0.5 c water OR


1lb chicken chunks, browned and 0.25 c cream (or coconut milk or cashew cream)


2 T minced lemon pickle or apple cider vinegar


Method:

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and chili in oil or butter


Add spices and saute another minute or so


Add tomatoes and simmer until tomatoes cook down


For tikka masala-style, puree the curry in a blender along with cream and return to the pan


Add chick peas and water OR browned chicken. Simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors blend and to thicken the sauce if you want. Cook longer if the chicken still needs to cook through and soften


Finish with lemon pickle and adjust salt


Serve garnished with something green: cilantro or chives or parsley, etc. etc.


Yield:

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