Chicken Tikka Lababdar

I won the Indian Curry Cookoff at One to One on September 14th, 2011 with this dish. It’s based on what I remember about a dish I last ate at least 15 years ago at what is now the Curry Garden in Cambridge, UK (it was the Gulshan when I went there). They still have it on the menu. According to cuisineindia.in, “Lababdar is a Hindi word that means very soft, creamy and having good mouth feel”. I love the korma-like nutty creaminess of this curry paired with some deep oomph from the dried chilles and spiky heat from the fresh green chillies.

You can get the Tikka, Tandoori and Madras pastes from an Indian grocer. Don’t confuse them with curry sauces, the pastes are herb/spice mixes in oil.

Chicken Tikka Lababdar

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1½lb boneless chicken breast strips, rinsed and cut into approx 1” cubes
• 6 tbsp Tikka or Tandoori Paste
• ½ pint Greek or other plain yoghurt
• 3 tbsp Madras Paste
• 5 tbsp vegetable ghee (or just vegetable oil)
• 2 onions, one in chunks for pureeing, one sliced
• 4 cloves garlic or 3-4 tsp lazy garlic
  
• 1 can tomato sauce
• ½ cup ground almonds
• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 dried red chillies, chopped coarsely
• 4 fresh green finger chillies, sliced lengthways - I use the seeds too. Some people find them bitter.
• About ½ pint heavy cream
• 8 tbsp cilantro, chopped finely

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F/180C

1. Mix the Tikka or Tandoori paste with the yogurt. Add the chicken pieces, stir so they’re coated in the yoghurt/spice mix, then cover and leave to marinade at least 4 hours - I did them overnight.
2. Razz one of the onions with the garlic in a food processor with a little water until they form a puree.
3. In a large, heavy pan, heat 4tbsp ghee on a medium heat. Add the Madras paste and fry for about a minute to release the flavor. Don’t go too long or it will burn.
4. Spoon in the onion/garlic puree and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins
5. Pour in the tomato sauce, cover and leave simmering for 30-40 mins, stirring occasionally.
6. Take the chicken out of the marinade and arrange on a baking tray. Discard the excess marinade. Bake for 30-40 mins at 350 F until the chicken is cooked through but not drying out.
7. Fry the sliced onion in 1 tbsp ghee until turning brown. Take off the heat.
8. When the chicken is cooked, add it to the curry sauce. Stir in the ground almonds, coconut milk, and red and green chillies. Add the fried onions. Leave simmering, covered, for at least 15 mins, stirring occasionally - timing's not too critical.
   
9. About 5 mins before serving, stir in the cream and heat through
10. Immediately before serving, stir in the chopped cilantro.

You can have this on rice, or mop it up with a naan or chapati. I like a variety when I’m eating Indian food, so I’ll usually make a Saag Paneer (Indian spinach and cheese) and maybe a Dal (spiced lentil soup) along with it. Veggies (but not vegans) can substitute Quorn pieces for chicken, marinading them like the chicken but baking them for just 20 mins or so.