Grilled/Baked Chicken in a Spicy Tamarind Masala Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
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Baked or Grilled chicken cooked in a Sweet, Spicy and Tangy Tamarind Sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Chicken, Lunch,
Cuisine: Indian,
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 10 large Chicken thighs
  • 10-15 pearl onions
Marinade for the chicken
  • ½ cup thick full fat yogurt
  • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tsp salt
For the Tamarind Masala Sauce
  • ½ cup thick tamarind pulp or 2 tsp tamarind paste mixed in with ½ cup water(NOT BOTH)
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp meethi or fenugreek seeds
  • 10-12 whole red chillies(or accordingly)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste(optional)
  • ⅓ cup tomato ketchup(I used Maggie hot and sweet sauce)
  • 1 tsp salt(or accordingly)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Cilantro and Lemon wedges to garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, oil and salt. Mix well and add the chicken to it . Let it marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Overnight is best.
  2. Preheat oven to 420 degrees Farenhiet for 20 minutes or preheat your grill. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes or grill the chicken until it's 80-90 percent done. Add the pearl onion when the chicken is half done. Take it out , cover and keep aside.
  3. Soak a lemon size hard tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and squeeze to take out ½ cup pulp from a block of tamarind. You could use tamarind concentrate , mix 2 tsp with ½ cup of hot water.
  4. Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, meethi/fenugreek seeds, and whole red chillies on low heat until you smell the spices. Do not burn the spices. Turn off the heat and add the sesame seeds to the pan which is still hot and stir for a minute or two. Grind everything along with the tamarind pulp to a very smooth paste. Don't add any water.
  5. In a heavy bottomed pan, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, let it get hot and then the tamarind masala paste. Add ⅓ cup of tomato ketchup or your favorite sweet and spicy tomato sauce.
  6. Add the chicken to it and let it cook uncovered, dry down until all the sauce sticks to the chicken. You can cook this over a grill(use a cast iron pan) which will take a bit longer. Both works perfect. Cook till dry and Serve it with some chopped cilantro and a drizzle of lemon juice.
Enjoy!
Notes
You can find tamarind block in any Indian grocer.
You can grill the chicken or bake it in an oven, works perfect both ways.
If you do not have a grill or an oven, roast the chicken on a a cast iron pan and dunk it in the sauce and cook, but you will lose that charred flavor that baking at high temperatures give.
Recipe by Food Fashion Party at https://www.foodfashionparty.com/2015/06/15/grilledbaked-chicken-in-a-tamarind-masala-sauce/