RecipeReplica:Quick-Bake "Masala" Chicken

Masala, Not Marsala, in Indian cuisine is a mixture of ground roasted-spices along with ginger, garlic and onions etc etc. Grinding the spices along with any other ingredients intensifies the flavor. This recipe has been adapted from the blog, The Novice Kitchen.Ms.Sharfu is undermining her culinary capabilities.She is anything but a novice and all her recipes are truly mouthwatering. Check out her posts to see what I am talking about.Except for some changes in the spice I stayed true to the original recipe that can be found here. Don't be scared by the color of the chicken in the picture, its mainly from crushed tomatoes and the heat factor is not overwhelming.Also, the reason why I call it quick-bake is because part of the cooking is done on the stove-top and then finished off in the Oven.

Hey, watch out, I am on the hunt and your blog may be next for my "Recipe Replica" post.

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 8, thigh pieces, skinned, cleaned and slit from under
• Red Onion - 1/2, medium, chopped
• Garlic - 5 cloves
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Curry leaves - 5 stalks (Don't skip it. Available in all Indian stores)
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp (Readymade ground spice-mix. Also available in Indian stores)
• Cracked Pepper - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp or less (Haven't tried but Paprika may be used)
• Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
• Crushed Tomatoes - 6 tbsp
• Olive Oil - 4 tbsp

For the Marinade:

• Yogurt - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - a dash
• Cracked Pepper - a few grinds

Procedure:

• Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients under "Marinade" and let it sit for at-least an hour in the refrigerator.
• In a wide skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil and add fennel seeds, garlic, ginger, onions, cracked pepper, curry leaves, Garam Masala Powder and saute for 10 minutes.
• Add the chilli powder,crushed tomatoes and salt. Do Not add water.
• Cool the mixture and grind to a smooth paste with lemon juice.Important - Taste the mixture and check for taste. Add more salt or cracked pepper, if needed.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and bring it to a smoking point.
• Sear the chicken on both sides until they are evenly browned.

• Spread the ground mixture on the chicken pieces and cook for 2 minutes per side.

• Transfer the chicken thighs to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes in the lower rack.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, flip the chicken pieces and bake for 10-15 more minutes in the middle rack.
• Serve warm with steaming rice.

Enjoy!