I’m not one of those people who keeps a 24-pack of frozen chicken thighs in the freezer, 1) because I’m not feeding a family of 6 and 2) because my small freezer is filled to its actual brim with bags of nuts and flour that I’m trying to prevent from going rancid in my cabinets. But I totally get why people do this. Chicken, and especially thighs (it takes a lot for me to get enthusiastic about a chicken breast, though it is possible) is incredibly versatile, and hard to cook badly.
But chicken can also be boring. I don’t really want to see another sheet pan recipe for baked chicken thighs, though they’ve been known to get me out of a pinch when I need to eat some dinner on a weeknight or make a lunch to bring to work the next day. Ditto sautéed chicken breast with a pan sauce. Fried chicken is another story – I could eat it every day – but it’s not very convenient or, let’s face it, healthy. But I have found that South Asian preparations for chicken are often knock-your-socks-off flavorful, and, once you have the spice collection, a cinch to make.
I’d earmarked this recipe awhile back, from the trusty 660 Curries that has become one of my all-time favorite cookbooks (that’s saying a LOT). As usual, life got in the way and several months passed and I remembered this promising recipe for chicken with peanut curry. It was really easy to make- pretty much you just blitz it up in the food processor- but it didn’t taste the way I thought it would, at all, after having it on the to-do list for six months. It tasted better!
When you (or at least, I) think of a peanut sauce, I think of something probably made with peanut butter, cream and a little bit of spice. This is not that sauce. This is toasted, ground peanuts, tons of cilantro and a bunch of flavorful spices, all mixed together and then thinned out with heavy cream and yogurt and water. The result is nutty and extremely herbaceous- and also spicy. It’s really unexpected and really delicious.
If you’re a responsible person, you’d serve this with steamed basmati rice and a side of sautéed spinach, or a similar simple vegetable. If you’re me, you’d forget to make the vegetable and it would be 10pm and you’d be hungry and tired and you’d tell yourself that the sauce is pretty green, and that probably counts as nutrition. It’s better than fried chicken, right?
The garam masala spice blend in this recipe is very specific and shouldn't be substituted with a store-bought blend. You can store the leftover in a tightly sealed container, away from excess heat, light and humidity, for up to 2 months. Do not refrigerate.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw peanuts (without the skin)
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8 to 10 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, to taste, stems removed
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg shavings (carefully shave the outer layer off with a sharp paring knife)
- 2 to 3 blades mace
- 1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil
- 1/4 cup raw peanuts (without the skin)
- 1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 4 to 6 medium-size garlic cloves, to taste
- 2 or 3 fresh green Thai, cayenne or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 1/2 to 3 lbs.), skin removed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 teaspoon Maharashtrian garam masala (see above)
Instructions
- First, make the garam masala spice blend. Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients except the coconut, and toast, shaking the skillet every few seconds, until the peanuts (in spots) and sesame seeds turn honey-brown, the coriander and cumin seeds turn reddish brown, and the chiles blacken slightly and smell pungent, 3 to 4 minutes; the chiles' aroma will be masked by the sweet-smelling nutmeg and mace.
- Immediately transfer the spices to a plate to cool. (The longer they sit in the hot skillet, the more likely it is that they will burn.) Return the skillet to the heat and toast the coconut for about 15 seconds; it will immediately start to turn almond-brown. Add the coconut to the pile of toasted peanuts and spices.
- Once it is cool to the touch, place half the mixture in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind until the texture resembles that of finely ground black pepper. (If you don't allow the spices to cool, the ground blend will acquire unwanted moisture from the heat, making the final blend slightly cakey.) Transfer this to a small bowl. Repeat with the remaining batch. Thoroughly combine the two ground batches.
- To make the chicken, heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the peanuts and roast, stirring them constantly to prevent them from burning, until they turn nutty brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon, leaving behind as much of the oil as possible, and place them in a food processor. Add the coconut, cilantro, garlic and chiles to the processor. Pulse to mince, creating a nutty-smelling rub.
- Reheat the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in the sesame seeds and cumin seeds. As soon as they sizzle, turn reddish brown and smell nutty-sweet, stir in the peanut blend. Stir-fry until the mixture smells nutty-pungent, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Push the mixture to the edge and arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the skillet. Cover the chicken with the mixture and cook until the chicken is light brown on the underside, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over, topping the pieces with the peanut mixture, and brown on the other side, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep the peanut mixture atop the chicken to prevent it from burning as the meat browns.
- In a small bowl, stir the salt into 1/2 cup water. Pour this solution over the chicken, and heat it to a boil. Cover the skillet and simmer, periodically basting the chicken and turning the pieces, until the meat in the thickest parts is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.
- Stir the yogurt, cream and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala into the sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the creamy green sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Notes
From 660 Curries
