CBWCG = Chicken baked with chilli and ginger
The source of this recipe was Madhur Jaffery’s “Chicken Breasts Baked with Green Chillis and Onions” from her seminal work “Quick and easy Indian cookery”. It’s a great book – buy a copy!
Over the years we have refined the recipe a little by improving the spicing, adjusting the quantities and adding spinach. More importantly we have refined the cooking method. This is a difficult dish to get right, and the way in which it is cooked, greatly influences the end result. However once learnt, never forgotten – its worth taking the time to get it right. The cooking method is described in much greater detail than Madhur ever had space for in her book.
We have experimented with numerous variations – fish, beef steak, chicken thighs, lamb, pork, even burgers. The pictures below show it being made with chicken thighs and sea bass fillets. The receipe refers to making it with chicken breasts.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 tbsp of tomato puree
1 tbsp of water
1 tbsp of smooth dijon mustard
1 tbsp of ground cumin
1 tbsp of garam massala
juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
280 ml of water
140 ml of double cream
Main ingredients:
2 large onions
4cm piece of ginger
3 green chillis
Handful of baby spinach
Two chicken breasts
3 tbsp groundnut oil
1 stick of cinamon bark
15 cloves
15 whole green cardamons
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp of groundnut oil
 
Equipment
Heavy-bottomed pan
Baking dish
Measuring jug
Preparation
Sauce:
1. Add the tomato puree to the measuring jug with the water then mix
2. Add the mustard then mix
3. Add the cumin and garam massala then mix
4. Add the lemon juice then mix
5. Add the salt and chilli powder then mix
6. Add the water then mix
7. Add the cream then mix. Put aside for later.
Main ingredients:
1. Half the onions and slice very thinly
2. Slice the chillis very finely
3. Julienne the ginger very finely
4. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
1. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in the pan on the highest heat, when hot add the cinamon stick, cardamons, and cloves, and fry for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the chicken and brown on both sides.
 
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in the baking dish.
4. Add the onions, chilli and ginger to the pan and stir well. Initially the onions will steam, stir occaisionally as they start to reduce in size.
5. While the onions cook (stir occaisionally to make sure they are not sticking) wilt the spinach (50 second in a microwave oven is enough), and top the chicken breasts with it.
6. The onions will eventually stop steaming and start to fry. When the start to fry turn the heat down to medium and continue to stir. You will need to almost stir continually now to stop them sticking and burning onto the pan. They are ready when they have reduced right down and are a deep brown colour, but not burnt!
 
 
7. Spread the onions on top of the chicken and spianch.
8. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and when hot add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop. Add the crushed garlic clove and fry until golden.
9. Add the sauce to the pan and scrap the pan with your spatuala as you stri the sauce, until the sauce is simmering.
10. Cover the chicken with the suace and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. (Now is the time to make some rice.)
11. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, garnish with corrainder.
Variations
The original and best variation uses chicken breasts.
We have also tried:
Chicken thighs (off the bone) – very good
Pork loin fillet – good
Lam neck fillet – can be tough
Duck breast – can be too rich
Cod, hake, haddock – good if you like fish
Sea bass fillets – very good, best if shallowed fried first on the skin side until crisp
Rib eye steak – can be too rich
Burgers – never tried it again!
Beef short rib – good but very rich due to the fat
