Archived Story

Fall flavor, with spice - Indian seasonings highlight harvest’s offerings
By GREG PATENT

Curried Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Yogurt uses the last tomatoes of summer and the first fall onions to mark the shifting seasons. Serve this make-ahead dish with hot brown or basmati rice.
Photo by KURT WILSON/Missoulian
Saying farewell to summer is always tough. And this year, the gifts from the garden it provided have been exceptional, especially in the abundance of tomatoes. But it’s the fall crops that sustain us through the winter, and they’re being harvested now. Onions, in particular, are good keepers, staying perfectly fresh in a cool root cellar or basement well into early spring. Cauliflower, which has grown to impressively large compact heads this year, is an in-between crop. It matures from late summer into early fall, and because it has a limited life in the refrigerator, should be cooked sooner rather than later. It also doesn’t freeze well - it turns to mush - but it makes dandy pickles.

What I bought at last week’s farmers market led me to the subject of this month’s column. And the flavors of India inspired my choice of recipes. A cuisine that has been perfected over thousands of years, it knows how to present vegetables in myriad forms by the judicious use of redolent spices.

The word “curry” is associated instantly with India. But curry powder is something unknown to the cuisine. Noted Indian cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey says, “To me the word ‘curry’ is as degrading to India’s great cuisine as the term ‘chop suey’ was to China’s.” Curry, she says, is just a vague, inaccurate word, made popular by the British who occupied India for decades.

The origin of the English word “curry” could have been “kari,” a Tamil word meaning “sauce,” or it could have come from a spice, the “kari leaf,” or it could have arisen from “karhi,” a North Indian dish made with buttermilk and chickpea flour. “Whatever its source,” says Jaffrey, “the word is obviously a British oversimplification for what is universally recognized as a richly varied cuisine.”

Curry powder, too, is a British contribution to the world. No Indian ever cooks with curry powder. Instead, flavor combinations are devised specifically for each dish, giving Indian cuisine its enormous subtlety and depth.

Whole spices are often used by cooks, because their flavoring compounds are locked securely within them. Ground spices can quickly lose their volatile flavors when stored for long periods. Frying in oil brings the spicy flavors to life, and after grinding them in a mortar with a pestle they’re added to the dish. When buying ground spices, purchase them in small amounts and store them in screw-cap jars in a cool cupboard. They’ll keep quite well for up to 3 months.

The following recipes call for ground spices, so make sure they haven’t been sitting around for an indeterminate length of time. Both recipes - the chicken curry and the gingered cauliflower - may be made ahead and reheated.

Greg Patent is a food writer and columnist for the Missoulian and Missoula.com magazine. He also co-hosts a weekly show about food with Jon Jackson on KUFM Sundays at 11:50 a.m. His cookbook, “A Baker’s Odyssey” was nominated for the 2008 James Beard Award.



Curried Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Yogurt



Although this recipe uses chicken thighs, feel free to substitute boneless and skinless breasts, if you prefer. Thighs are my choice because I find them tastier and juicier than breast meat.

Ghee is Indian clarified butter and you can find it at the Good Food Store. It seems to keep well for many months in the refrigerator.

If you want to speed things along by chopping the vegetables in a food processor, here’s how: With the metal blade in place, start the motor and drop in the garlic followed by the ginger. When both have been chopped and spun onto the sides of the work bowl, stop the machine, scrape the bowl and add the onion, which you’ve cut into 1-inch chunks. To chop the onion, pulse rapidly 6 or 8 times, scrape the bowl, and continue using rapid pulses until the onion is chopped medium-fine. Don’t over-process or the onions will turn to water.

All the spices are available in just about any market. Garam masala is itself a spice mixture of black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin.

This dish can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated. Its flavor improves over time. Reheat gently in the oven or on a stovetop.

8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs or 8 skinless bone-in thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed in a mortar with a pestle

1/2 cup ghee or vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped medium-fine

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup plain unflavored yogurt

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Hot cooked brown or white basmati rice

Chopped roasted peanuts

Chutney of your choice

If using boneless and skinless thighs, trim away any obvious strips of fat and bits of tendon, but don’t be obsessive. The area previously wrapped around the thigh bone can look mighty confusing when opened up and flattened. Place the trimmed thighs between sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently with a smooth meat pounder to an even thickness, 1/2 inch or so. If using bone-in thighs, just trim off any loose pieces of fat. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Combine the cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, cayenne, fennel and 1 teaspoon salt in a small cup.

Heat the ghee or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the fat is shimmering, add half the chicken pieces and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side only until slightly browned. Remove chicken to a side dish and cook the remaining chicken pieces the same way.

To the fat remaining in the pan add the onion, garlic and ginger. Stir well, scraping up any bits of chicken that are stuck to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and golden brown.

Add the spice mixture and 1 tablespoon of the chicken broth or water, and stir well for 1 minute. Add the remaining broth or water, the tomatoes, yogurt and half the cilantro, and stir well. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Add the chicken to the skillet along with any juices, and spoon the sauce over to cover the chicken completely. Sprinkle with the garam masala, cover the pan and cook the chicken over medium-low heat until completely tender, 20 to

30 minutes.

When ready to serve, drizzle lemon juice over the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve with the rice and condiments.

• Makes 4 to 8 servings.

Cauliflower with Ginger and Cilantro



I’ve adapted this, a perfect dish to serve with the chicken curry, from Madhur Jaffrey’s “An Invitation to Indian Cooking” (Knopf, 1973).

A potent dose of fresh ginger and spices display, rather than mute, cauliflower’s natural sweetness and crunch.

You can make this a day ahead by undercooking the cauliflower and keeping it in the refrigerator. Reheat slowly over low heat. The cauliflower should be slightly crunchy, not soft, when served.

1 large head cauliflower, about 2 pounds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

1 piece peeled fresh ginger about 1 inch wide and

3 inches long, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 fresh hot green or red chile, thinly sliced

1 packed cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons water

Break the cauliflower into large florets, then cut into small flowerets about 1 1/2 inches across. Cut large stems into 1/2-inch pieces.

Combine the spices and 1 teaspoon salt in a small cup.

Puree the ginger and 1/4 cup water in a blender until smooth. Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the pureed ginger and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the fresh chile and cilantro and continue cooking and stirring 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat well with the sauce. If too dry, add spoonfuls of water to loosen the mixture. Stir and cook 5 minutes.

Add the spice mixture, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons water. Stir well, taste, and add more salt if necessary. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the cauliflower is crisp-tender, 15 to

30 minutes. Timing depends on the size of flowerets and freshness of the cauliflower, so check frequently.

• Makes 6 to 8 servings.
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