They say that the senses that persist the most in human beings are taste and smell, perhaps due to our past as prehistoric hunters. We clearly remember the flavors of the dishes that were prepared for us during childhood and the smell that our home gave off, while the sound and visual sensations tend to be forgotten with some ease, as if they occupy too voluminous a place in our brain that should be erased daily to make way for new images.
The olfactory and gustatory memory is etched in our brain in a subtle but indelible way. Only our mother's stews smell a certain way, just like our house or the office where we work, although we often do not realize it.
Countries also smell a certain way and of course their gastronomy does. The Greek gastronomy smells of oregano, the French of cream, the Spanish of sofrito and the Indian of spices. And if you don't believe it, just make a French recipe and add a tomato, onion and garlic sauce to make the result Spanish. Or make a meat stew by adding a little oregano; If you serve it to a Greek, they will surely doubt if it is a Greek recipe that they do not know, they are so inclined to put oregano in many of their dishes.
So the Tikka Masala, with its spicy flavor, seems to us an archetypal Indian recipe. Well, it isn't. The Tikka Masala is a clear example of a recipe that has been made to look like Indian without being so. Its origin is more than likely England and although in its preparation there is a certain deja vu of Indian cuisine - inspired by the famous tandoori chicken - it is unlikely that if it had arisen directly in India it would have been cooked in this way. In addition, it is a dish of recent appearance so it is most plausible that it was created by Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi emigrants in an anonymous restaurant in England. The fact that there is no single "official recipe" is also an indication that it does not come from an Indian culinary tradition.
So the recipe that we present to you is the one that I make and that is based on three well-defined steps:
1. Marinate the chicken
2. Cook or grill the chicken
3. Briefly cook the meat in a sauce composed of yogurt or cream and tomato sauce.
These three steps are followed by most recipes, although they differ considerably in terms of the ingredients to use. Never mind. If you vary the ingredients to your liking, you are not lacking any orthodoxy because, as I have said, it is a recipe that only seeks to look Indian. It's very easy to do.
INGREDIENTS (4 people)
- 2 boneless chicken thighs per person minimum
- Greek type yogurt
- Garam masala (Indian spices)
- Fried tomato sauce
- Salt
- Fresh coriander (optional)
- Butter
- Garlic
- Onion
First of all we are going to talk about the Garam Masala. This spice is a mixture of other spices, just like curries. You can find it in specialized stores, food stores run by the Indian community or make it yourself by mixing cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper and cardamom. Make equal parts of each of the above classes except for nutmeg of which you should add only a pinch. Crush them in a mortar and you already have Garam Masala.
Smear the chicken with Garam Masala and salt and dip it in Greek yogurt to marinate for a minimum of 24 hours in the fridge. Do not use normal yogurt, but Greek, which is less consistent and acidic.
After time extract it from the marinade - which is discarded - and grill the chicken. We can do this either on the microwave grill, in the oven or even on the barbecue. It should be well marked on all sides but still raw in the center.
In a casserole or frying pan melt a tablespoon of butter - if you want you can use olive oil or other kind - and fry the finely chopped onion and the grated garlic clove (without the inner green germ) .
Then add the chicken, incorporating a mixture of equal parts fried tomato and Greek yogurt or cream for cooking. This sauce should cover the chicken thighs almost entirely. We leave it over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes - the sauce will thicken slightly - rectify the salt and pepper and it is ready to be served covered by a little fresh coriander. It is also usually accompanied by basmati rice that absorbs part of the sauce, taking on a very pleasant flavor.
This recipe admits multiple variations, from making it very spicy to adding those spices that most remind you of Indian cuisine.
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