Chicken & Vegetarian 4 Dish Special Recipe
Two chicken entrées and two vegetarian entrées with four naan and two large portions of rice.
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Ingredients
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Chicken — Butter Chicken
Chicken — Chicken Tikka Masala
Vegetarian — Chana Masala
Vegetarian — Aloo Gobi
Rice — 2 Large Portions
Naan — 4 pieces (pan-style)
Method
Chicken — Butter Chicken
- 1
Marinate chicken
Combine yogurt (1 cup), lemon juice (2 tbs), garam masala (2 tsp), ground cumin (2 tsp), Kashmiri chili/paprika (1 tbs) and 0.5 tsp salt in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces (600 g), toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours).
- 2
Cook chicken
Heat vegetable oil (2 tbs) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Sear chicken in batches until browned and just cooked through, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- 3
Make sauce
In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium, add butter (3 tbs) and chopped onion (1 cup). Sauté until soft and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add garlic-ginger paste (2 tbs) and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in tomato puree (360 ml) and 0.5 tsp salt; simmer 8–10 minutes to slightly reduce and develop flavor.
- 4
Finish
Return the seared chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices. Stir in heavy cream (180 ml) and kasuri methi (1 tsp) if using. Simmer gently 5–7 minutes until sauce thickens and chicken is fully cooked. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with cilantro (2 tbs) and keep warm until serving.
Chicken — Chicken Tikka Masala
- 5
Marinate and cook chicken
Mix yogurt (0.5 cup), lemon juice (1 tbs), ground cumin (1 tsp), ground coriander (1 tsp), paprika (1 tbs) and 0.5 tsp salt. Toss with chicken breast pieces (600 g) and marinate 20–40 minutes. Heat oil (2 tbs) in a skillet over medium-high and sear chicken until just cooked through (3–4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
- 6
Build sauce
In same pan, reduce heat to medium, add butter (2 tbs) and chopped onion (1 cup). Sauté 6–8 minutes until soft. Add garlic-ginger paste (2 tbs) and cook 1–2 minutes. Add tomato sauce (240 ml), garam masala (1 tsp) and remaining salt (about 1 tsp), stir and simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly reduced.
- 7
Combine and finish
Return chicken to the sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream (120 ml), adjust seasoning and simmer 2–3 more minutes until the sauce is silky. Garnish with cilantro (1 tbs). Keep warm for plating.
Vegetarian — Chana Masala
- 8
- 9
Spice and tomato
Add ground cumin (1 tsp), ground coriander (1 tsp), chana masala or garam masala (2 tbs), turmeric (0.5 tsp) and red chili powder (0.5 tsp). Cook spices 1 minute to bloom. Add chopped tomatoes (240 g) and cook 6–8 minutes until they break down.
- 10
Add chickpeas and simmer
Add drained chickpeas (800 g), water (120 ml) and salt (1.25 tsp). Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook 10–12 minutes so flavors meld and sauce thickens. Stir in amchur or lemon juice (1 tsp) at the end to brighten the dish.
- 11
Finish
Adjust seasoning, mash a few chickpeas with the back of a spoon for body if desired. Stir in cilantro (2 tbs) and keep warm for serving.
Vegetarian — Aloo Gobi
- 12
Par-cook potatoes
Optionally par-boil potato cubes (400 g) 5 minutes until just tender but firm; drain. This shortens final cooking time and ensures potatoes cook through.
- 13
- 14
Spice and vegetables
Add turmeric (1 tsp), ground coriander (1 tsp) and red chili powder (0.5 tsp); cook 30 seconds. Add cauliflower florets (600 g), par-cooked potatoes, chopped tomato (120 g), water (80 ml) and salt (1.25 tsp). Stir to combine.
- 15
Simmer
Cover and cook over medium-low heat 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and potatoes are cooked through. Remove lid for last few minutes if you want drier texture and some browning.
- 16
Finish
Adjust salt, stir in chopped cilantro (2 tbs) and serve hot.
Rice — 2 Large Portions
- 17
Rinse rice
Rinse basmati rice (2 cups) under cold water until the water runs clear to remove surface starch. Drain thoroughly.
- 18
Cook rice
In a medium pot, bring water (600 ml), oil/ghee (1 tbs), salt (1 tsp) and bay leaf (1) to a boil. Add the drained rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer 12–15 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Turn off heat and rest covered 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and remove bay leaf.
Naan — 4 pieces (pan-style)
- 19
Activate yeast
In a small bowl, dissolve sugar (1 tsp) into warm water (120 ml) and sprinkle active dry yeast (1 tsp) over it. Let sit 5–8 minutes until foamy.
- 20
Make dough
In a large bowl, combine flour (360 g), baking powder (1 tsp) and salt (1 tsp). Make a well and add the yeast mixture, yogurt (120 ml), warm milk (120 ml) and oil (2 tbs). Mix to form a soft dough. Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with flour.
- 21
Rise
Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest in a warm place 45–60 minutes until roughly doubled.
- 22
Shape and cook
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, roll each into a ball and flatten/roll into an oval about 6–8" long. Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Cook each naan 1–2 minutes on the first side until bubbly and charred spots appear, flip and cook 45–60 seconds more. Brush hot naan with melted butter (2 tbs). Keep wrapped in a towel until serving.
