Somedays when mom used to run out of tomatoes, she would make yogurt based curries. Everyone loved the change of taste from the regular onion - tomato masala especially during the summer months.
One cannot have too many chicken curries recipes up their sleeve, right? I have shared another yogurt based chicken recipe in the past. However, this dahi chicken is different from the chicken in yogurt & cardamom sauce in cooking method, spices as well as taste.
What is Dahi Chicken?
Dahi =Yogurt. Dahi Chicken is a mild chicken dish from the north indian (punjabi) cuisine. It is also called curd chicken curry. It is dryish (without a lot of gravy) and has a thick masala coating the chicken. The chicken cooks in its own juices and moisture from yogurt without addition of water. Due to use of full fat yogurt, it is quite creamy without any heavy cream or nut pastes. You can make it for everyday meals as well as include it in your dinner party menus. Most indian chicken recipes use yogurt so what’s different here you may ask. Firstly, yogurt is the main ingredient in the sauce. Secondly, the masala in this recipe is made by sautéing together browned (light caramelized) onions and dahi together with fresh ground spices which make up for robust creamy flavors. Quite different from the usual method of adding yogurt to chicken curries towards the end of cooking. The dish has a sourish tang and is not as hot because the yogurt mellows down the masala. The masala has a prominent taste of black cardamom and black pepper. It should traditionally be cooked in mustard oil, however since mustard oil is an acquired taste for many due to its strong sharp aroma and taste, you can substitute with ghee or any other neutral oil.
Ingredients
Bone In Chicken - For curries I always prefer dark meat bone in chicken. Use skinless chicken pieces. I usually use “curry cut” that I buy from my middle eastern grocer. You can buy bone in chicken from stores and remove the skin using a paper towel. A mix of both or just drumsticks or only chicken thighs will work wonderfully as well. Full Fat Yogurt - I use malai top (creamy) indian style dahi (plain yogurt) from indian stores. You can use greek yogurt or plain full fat yogurt from brands like stony field or chobani. Some yogurt brands have corn starch mixed in as a thickener, please read label before purchasing and avoid. Oil - When I make it on weeknights, I use mustard oil. If you are cooking for parties, go for ghee. Onions - Ideally yellow sweet onions are best but I use whatever I have at home on a particular day. Red, yellow, white- it will all work. Ginger and Garlic Paste - Pound or process together equal parts peeled garlic & ginger to a coarse paste using mortar pestle or a small blender jar. Tomato Paste (Optional)- You just need a tablespoon. Substitute with store bought or homemade tomato puree. It adds a wonderful sweetish acidity towards the end. Spices For the Fresh Ground Masala - Coriander, cumin, cloves, dried chillies, black cardamom (seeds only), black peppercorns, nutmeg & turmeric. Kasuri methi (optional) - Are dried fenugreek leaves which are commonly used to add a unique aroma and taste to north indian curries. They are easily available in indian stores. You can skip if you don’t have.
How To Make Dahi Chicken
Dry roast the spices and grind them into a corse powder. Rub half of the the spices over chicken and mix half with yogurt.
Heat up oil and sear the spice rubbed chicken on both sides. Sear in batches.
Temper the remaining oil with cinnamon & bay leaves. Add ginger garlic and saute for few seconds. Add the onions and cook them until the onions are caramelized and browned (not dark brown).
Mix in the yogurt on low heat and saute it immediately. Cook with the onions till you see oil bubbles separating. Add the chicken, mix and cover the pot.
After about 25 minutes, the chicken should be cooked through. Mix in the tomato paste(if using).
Saute on high heat for 2-4 minutes and finish with kasuri methi & cilantro.Serve warm.
Serving & Variations
Dahi chicken is amazing with all sorts of flatbreads and a side salad and chutney. It is also a delicious side dish with yakhni pulao or dal. You can store it for 2-3 days in the fridge. Here are a few variations you can try
Make it Spicy - Mix in some chopped thai bird green chilies right before serving. Deluxe - When you are serving for parties, you can also finish it with 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream. Kid friendly - This dish has quite a kick of black pepper, reduce the black pepper quantity if you are making for kids. Make it Vegetarian - You can use this recipe for a vegetarian version with paneer, baby potatoes or gobhi(cauliflower) etc. Sprinkle a little ground masala on paneer or par boiled potatoes or blanched gobhi and pan fry in oil. Mix rest of the ground spices with yogurt and make the sauce following the recipe. Add pan fried paneer, potatoes or gobhi to the cooked masala and finish cooking them in masala. Its really delicious!!
Few Tips
You can make this recipe with boneless chicken. Use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I would recommend rubbing the chicken with ground spices and letting it sit for 3-4 hours for extra flavor.You don’t need to marinate if you use bone in chicken, the masala gets a ton of flavor from the bones while cooking. Make sure that the chicken is dry when you rub the spices. Sear chicken on medium heat to avoid spices from sticking or burning. If you want, you can rub the chicken with fresh ground spices and a little yogurt and marinate for a few hours or up to 1 day for extra deep flavors (This is in fact, how bengali doi murgi is cooked) However, for this recipe, do prepare the masala by sautéing yogurt (quantity as mentioned in recipe) along with browned onions, this gives the right taste to the dish. Make sure that the yogurt is not too watery or too sour. You can use hung curd as well. Watery yogurt will not give you a thick masala, so please avoid. I love the sweetish acidity that tomato paste adds. You can absolutely skip it. I find it better than adding sugar.
