Creamy Cardamom Chicken Recipes

ROAST CARDAMOM CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the whole peppercorns, cardamom seeds and cumin in a spice mill and grind them into a fine powder. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
• Put the water in a blender along with the salt, ginger, garlic, cayenne, vinegar and ground spices.
• Blend to a smooth paste.
• Put the yogurt in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken.
• Stir in the spice paste.
• Add the chicken and make sure all pieces are covered in the marinade.
• Break the cinnamon stick in two and tuck it in with the chicken.
• Cover and marinate for at least two hours and as much as overnight.
• Set the oven to 220 C or 425°F.
• Bake the chicken in a shallow dish for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
• The yogurt should have formed a dark brown crust.
• Sprinkle with mint leaves.

CARDAMOM CHICKEN WITH SALT AND PEPPER CRUST

Steps:

• Place the garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and cardamom in a resealable plastic bag. Place chicken thighs in the bag, and squeeze to coat. Press out most of the air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Place chicken on a broiling pan or baking sheet. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is browned and crisp, and cooked through.

BAKED CHICKEN IN CARDAMOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat; add the chicken breasts or thighs and brown for about 3 minutes per side until the chicken turns opaque.
• Remove and place the chicken in an ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven.
• Add the remaining oil, butter, and onion to the sauté pan; sauté until onion is wilted, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, cardamom, coriander, black pepper and blanched sliced almonds; cook until the nuts are pale gold, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a blender (or food processor, but a blender will work a little better); add the yogurt or sour cream and puree until smooth.
• Season the sauce with salt to taste and pour over the chicken pieces in the casserole dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and juices run clear.
• Garnish with toasted almonds and serve with the sauce and rice.
• Note: if you've not made this dish before, I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of cardamom; taste it when you season to taste with salt before pouring over the chicken to bake, and add more cardamom if you like.

CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED ONION AND CARDAMOM RICE

Steps:

• Put the sugar and scant 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the barberries, and set aside to soak. If using currants, you do not need to soak them in this way.
• Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.
• Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper. Add the remaining olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well. Heat the frying pan again and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear chicken for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan (this is important as it part-cooks the chicken). The spices can stay in the pan, but don't worry if they stick to the chicken. Remove most of the remaining oil as well, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Add the rice, caramelized onion, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Drain the barberries and add them as well. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.
• Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or warm with yogurt mixture if you like.