Crispy Indian Spiced Yogurt Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together the chili powder, paprika, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, black pepper and 2 tablespoons salt in a large bowl. Stir in the yogurt, garlic and ginger and mix well. Add the chicken and coat each piece thoroughly with the yogurt mixture. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat a large, heavy pot filled with 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the semolina and rice flour in a large bowl. Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge each piece in the flour mixture until completely coated.
• Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, fry the chicken in the oil until golden and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat to keep the temperature of the oil between 325 and 350 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to the rack with tongs to drain.
• Place the chicken on a platter, sprinkle with salt if desired, and garnish with lemon wedges and cilantro. Serve hot with Cilantro-Yogurt Chutney.
• Combine the cilantro, yogurt, chiles, garlic, lime zest, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender and process until smooth. It should be the consistency of a creamy salad dressing. If it's too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Taste and add more lime juice and/or salt, if needed. Makes 1 cup.

Steps:

• Put the yogurt into a bowl. Beat it lightly until it is smooth and creamy. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, some black pepper, the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne, and cilantro. Mix and set aside.
• Using the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, season the chicken pieces on both sides and sprinkle on some freshly ground black pepper.
• Put the oil in a wide, preferably nonstick pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Stir once and put in some of the chicken pieces, only as many as the pan will hold easily in a single layer. Brown on both sides and remove to a large bowl. Brown all the chicken pieces this way and transfer them to the bowl. Put the almonds and raisins into the same hot oil. Stir quickly. The almonds should turn golden and the raisins should plump up, which will happen very fast. Then put the chicken and its accumulated juices back into the pan. Add the seasoned yogurt. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during this time. Remove the cover, turn the heat up a bit, and reduce the sauce until it is thick and just clings to the chicken pieces. Turn the chicken pieces over gently as you do this.