Yogurt Chicken II

There's something that has always seemed a bit daunting about cooking Indian food.  I'm not sure if it is the exotic spices or the sheer number of dishes that usually grace the table, but for a long time I just left well enough alone and didn't even attempt it.  Last year, however, I discovered how misguided I'd been for all of those years and now my standby recipe collection includes several really delicious and surprisingly easy Indian recipes.  In fact, upon arriving home from Africa, my first craving and culinary decision was to make Yogurt Chicken II, the pinnacle of my Indian cooking accomplishments.

Learning to cook Indian food started with a class I took at the Cook's Warehouse in Decatur with my friend K, taught by the woman who owns Bjojanic, an Indian tapas restaurant that is supposed to be great but I've never actually been to.  The class was a riot, in part because the woman who taught it has a larger than life personality, in part because the group that K and I ended up cooking with totally messed up our dish (navratan korma).  As it turns out, messing up a dish in cooking class means learning how to fix a dish, which actually makes for a much more educational experience.   Although two years later I have absolutely no recollection of how to fix poorly made navratan korma, I did learn two secrets to Indian cooking.  First secret: cook the onions for a really long time.  If you have to ask if they are done, they aren't.  Second secret:  salt (I felt my blood pressure rising just watching our instructor adding more salt to things, and I barely salt things myself, but I will admit that salt has a magical effect on Indian cooking).


The dish that led me to firmly establish Indian food as part of my repertoire was an amazing cumin chicken that one of the women in my book club made.  It was so good, I had to have the recipe, and ended up asking for the cookbook for Christmas last year.  I have to admit that the title of the cookbook, 'Passionate Meals,' gave me a moment's pause, but title aside this is a fantastic cookbook.  The recipes are straightforward but have just enough complexity to make them interesting, and so far everything I've made has been delicious (with the exception of the cumin chicken that the woman in my bookclub made; I took the salt secret a bit too far on that one, but that was my doing, not the recipe).  


I can't say enough how much I like Yogurt Chicken II (Yogurt Chicken I is also good but II is better).  There's something magical about cooking chicken in all of that yogurt, it just absorbs into the meat, resulting in a rich and well spiced sauce that is the ultimate Indian comfort food.  Serve it with homemade raita, rice, and a green vegetable and you have the perfect 'welcome home' meal.

Yogurt Chicken II

Adapted from “Passionate Meals” by Ismail Merchant

2 lbs chicken thighs or legs

1 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 ½ cups yogurt

2 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp ground red pepper (hot is better)

1 tomato, coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

In large, heavy skillet heat vegetable oil until hot over medium heat.  Add onion and bay leaf and cook until onion is browned (let it get really good and browned).  Add cumin seeds and chicken and sear until chicken is browned on all sides.  Mix yogurt and 1/2 cup water and add to chicken along with red pepper, salt, and tomato.  Stir to blend, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.