Roast rules, once again

Roast Chicken Makhani

They say what’s in a name? We insist it’s the name that makes or mars a dish. There was a time when the Brits ruled our land. Back then, roasts were at the top of the heap of preferred delicacies — be it Roast Leg of Lamb or Dak Bungalow Roast, quickly fixed by the khansamah by slaughtering the chicken for the saheb who arrived on a tour without prior warning. In the wake of Partition arrived Tandoori Murgh and Raan Sikandari to swiftly dethrone these. Roasts went out of fashion fast. One rarely encounters these items on restaurant menus today. It is only the nameless roadside eateries in the bylanes of older areas in cities of Delhi and Lucknow that these items are on offer. However, we recently chanced upon an interesting variation in Amritsar— Roast Chicken in Makhani avatar. Bittu Badshah of Gate Hakeeman pairs his creation with a unique yellow butter naan and guards his trade secret jealously. However, he was kind enough to drop helpful hints to let us try out a reasonably flattering imitation.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken (leg, thigh and breast pieces) 800g

Curd (whisked) 100ml

Garlic-ginger paste 1 tbsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder 1tsp

Black pepper powder 1tsp

Clove powder ¼ tsp

Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp

Cardamom powder ¼ tsp

Amchur powder ½ tsp

Black rock salt A pinch

Salt To taste

Butter 200g

Method

Prepare a marinade by mixing curd, ginger and garlic pastes and all the powdered spices along with salt. Wash, pat dry and trim the chicken pieces. Cut into smaller pieces, if you prefer. Coat the chicken pieces evenly with the marinade and keep aside for two hours. Heat butter in a thick-bottomed pan and transfer the chicken along with the marinade to it. Cover tightly with a lid and cook on medium-low flame for about 15 minutes. Uncover and stir well once or twice in between to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom or scald. Sprinkle very little water, if required. Remember, the chicken should taste roasted, not boiled. Cook till done to taste and all the moisture evaporates. It should appear reddish brown and have a slightly crisp exterior. Adjust the seasoning and serve. It doesn’t require a garnish. The glaze of butter is more than enough to adorn the succulent roast.