Hello you lovely people!
This is me, the Bombay Chef Varun Inamdar
and welcome to yet another episode of the 'Curry World'
Well, today's recipe is straight from West Africa.
This is a 'Chicken Peanut Curry'
Well, you call it a Curry, you call it a Soup
specially for this recipe
both the terms are absolutely interchangeable.
Let's begin Chicken Maafé.
This West African specialty is a Chicken dish,
it's a Chicken delicacy
made with Peanut Butter.
Yes, you heard it right
but what I am doing is
I am, of course, simplifying this entire recipe
so you will see it a lot different from how it's traditionally made
specially because I am not using Peanut Butter
I am using freshly roasted and Salted Peanuts
without the skin.
and the only reason why I am doing this is because Peanut butter as a commodity
could be expensive in some countries
and I want everybody to try and make this recipe at least once in their home
because trust me
over a period of time this has become my favorite Curry.
from across the globe.
First things first
I am using Chicken legs in this case
Now I am going to marinate this
now the marination in this case
is very basic very simple
now traditionally
They used Onion powder, Garlic powder, Parsley powder
now because these are also ingredients that
you may, may not have in your kitchen pantry
I have spread the ingredients across the table
now Parsley
I am not using parsley powder, dehydrated powder
I am using fresh Parsley and I am going to grind it
while making the paste
Like I said, I am also not using Peanut Butter because I am using Peanuts.
Chicken Seasoning powder can be added
you can add in your All Spice powder
you can add in your...
several powders of several curry powders that you get across the globe
I am making it in a very simple way.
The first thing is to use All Spice Powder,
followed by Red Chilli powder
What's important in this recipe and I have taken this personal liberty
of taking a little bit of tour around this recipe
and creating it so that it reaches
closest to the original.
with this, Dried Coriander seed powder
and just a touch of Turmeric powder.
Now while I am using Chicken Drum Sticks for this recipe
by all means, you can use Chicken thighs
Chicken breast or an entire curry cut of a Chicken bird.
To this, I am also adding in
a touch of Salt
Mix this well
and keep it aside.
While the Chicken is resting
let's quickly make the Peanut Paste.
Now like I said, I am making it slightly my style
eventually, of course, the taste is going to be very similar
but this is my style.
Roasted, skinless, salted Peanuts
now basically what I am trying to do is making Peanut Butter
at home.
Now Peanut Butter generally has
Peanuts, of course,
Salt,
Sugar and Oil simple.
So Sugar goes in next
Salt, mind you, is already part
of the roasted Peanuts.
Now while I am using Vegetable Oil, you can use any neutral Oil like Canola.
Now apart from Peanut Butter in this recipe
this recipe also calls for a green paste
which is made with Coriander
and Chillies.
It also has Onion in some cases
it also has Parsley powder, if you remember I said
or dehydrated Parsley
so I am also going to add in Parsley in this recipe.
Fresh Coriander leaves,
fresh Parsley leaves,
to of course take care of dehydrated leaves in this case
Chillies
Now this is the only time we are going to add Chillies in this recipe
of course you have added Red Chilli powder while marinating the Chicken
but in terms of Green Chillies or in terms of the Spice quotient of this recipe
this is all that this recipe requires.
Let's cover this
and grind this into an absolute smooth paste
remember peanut Butter
not the chunky one but the smooth one
With this our combination paste is done and ready
When I say combination paste
it means Peanut Butter
as well as the green paste
that technically or traditionally goes in this recipe.
Let's keep this aside as well
let's bring the Chicken back in the scene
and let's start frying it in Oil.
A cooking pot on high flame
with Oil
and like I said the next step is frying chicken.
Oil is heated up
let's drop in pieces of marinated Chicken.
Allow this to pan fry on one side
once that gets a nice deep golden brown color
we are going to flip it and allow it to turn golden brown on that side as well.
Let's gently flip the Chicken over
Once the Chicken get pan-seared on all the sides
let's pull this out off the Oil.
What's important
at this stage is to have these little brown bits at the bottom of the pan
and that's going to add wonderful layers of flavours.
Let's add in Tomato Purée
along with this Onion Purée
the next is adding in
paste of Tomato
Now you may ask what's the difference between Tomato puree and Tomato paste
it's very simple Tomato Purée is basically freshly crushed Tomatoes
into the form
of a juice, if I may simplify it.
Tomato paste is basically like a concentrate
when you keep reducing the juice to a point
where you can actually scoop it
like an Ice Cream
that's your Tomato paste.
Now in case, you do not have Tomato paste with you
you can also use Tomato ketchup.
The kind of Tomato ketchup which is not too sweet
because you don't want this to be numbing sweet.
you want that sourness
from the Tomato
to be the prominent flavour
of course along with Peanuts
or Peanut Butter which is going to be the next ingredient.
But before that let's add in some Sea Salt
and along with this
our combination paste
which is the Green paste along with Peanut Butter.
Let's give all of this a wonderful mix.
Now what is Peanut Butter adding to this recipe?
it's of course adding the name
It's adding flavour, it's adding thickness, it's also adding
this wonderful texture to this recipe.
Let's mix all of this well
and allow this to cook on medium flame
for forty minutes but
before that
I am going to add in the fried Chicken.
Let's give this a good mix.
Let's add in water
because it is going to cook for a long period of time
and you do not want anything to start burning or sticking to the sides
or to the bottom of the pan.
Well, half way through the recipe which is around say
twenty minutes
we will add in some Vegetables.
Now I have a mix of Onions, Potatoes
and some more but we wait for that.
Let's stir this well
ensure that you scrape the sides, scrape the bottom
and allow this to cook on gentle flame
when I say gentle flame
medium to low is absolutely perfect.
The color now that is looking green
will start getting slightly denser.
The Curry, of course, will start getting thicker.
You keep adding the water and keep adjusting the consistency,
do not forget, do not leave it
at a stretch to cook for forty minutes
you will end up with a burnt Curry.
It's been twenty minutes
and the Chicken is getting cooked
in this Peanut Curry.
At this point
it's half mark
when I say half mark it means that the recipe
is half done
at this stage
let's add in few vegetables.
I am adding in some Peppers
Now you can also throw in some Scotch Bonnet Chilli
which is kind of spicy.
Wedges of Green Cabbage
but quite unusual for a lot of people
but trust me
it's like a stew, it's like a curry, it's like a soup
with lots of vegetables thrown in
Potatoes, which are peeled and halved
and last but not the least
Onions, now these are tiny Onions
I am adding them whole.
Let's give this a quick stir.
Do remember, all through the forty-minute process
you can add in water
because you do not want anything neither to stick on the sides
nor the bottom of the pan.
Add in water
at any stage when you add in water
just as a thumb rule, add in hot water
and keep stirring it intermittently.
Allow this to cook
for another twenty minutes or till the Vegetables and the Chicken
are perfectly cooked.
It's been forty minutes
the Chicken has perfectly cooked
and needless to say the Vegetables are also wonderfully done.
Oil has also released the sides of the pan which means
it's done and ready, off goes the flame.
And this straight goes on the serving plate.
Well, this recipe of Chicken Maafé goes wonderfully well
with steamed rice.
Make this for your family, make this for your friends.
Try it, I know it's a different recipe
from what we usually see
but
this is the 'Curry World' so it has to be different.
Bye for now.