Safed Maans (Rajasthani White Chicken Curry)

Name: Safed Maans (Rajasthani White Chicken Curry)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 ⁄ 4 cup desiccated coconut; 1 tbsp. white poppy seeds; 2 tsp. pumpkin seeds; 25 whole white peppercorns; 20 cashews; 10 green cardamom pods; 1 ⁄ 2 cup ghee; 1 tsp. kala jeera (black cumin); 6 whole cloves; 4 black cardamom pods, cracked; 2 Indian or regular bay leaves; 1 stick cinnamon; 4 small green Thai chiles or 2 serranos, halved; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 medium yellow onion, minced; 1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and minced; 1 (2 1/2–3-lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed; 3 ⁄ 4 cup plain, full-fat yogurt; 3 ⁄ 4 whole milk; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground mace; Kosher salt, to taste; 2 tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

Serves
serves 4

JAMES ROPER

By SAVEUR Editors

Published on July 29, 2014

Yogurt tempers the heat of this coconut chicken curry, a variation on a classic lamb dish from the state of Rajasthan in western India. Though the recipe is mild, the flavors are complex: the dish is seasoned with a cornucopia of toasted and raw seeds and spices, including black cumin, green and black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, white peppercorns, white poppy seeds, and more, all lavished in a dairy-rich sauce. This recipe first appeared in the tablet edition of our August/September 2014 special India issue.

Ingredients

¹⁄₄ cup desiccated coconut
1 tbsp. white poppy seeds
2 tsp. pumpkin seeds
25 whole white peppercorns
20 cashews
10 green cardamom pods
¹⁄₂ cup ghee
1 tsp. kala jeera (black cumin)
6 whole cloves
4 black cardamom pods, cracked
2 Indian or regular bay leaves
1 stick cinnamon
4 small green Thai chiles or 2 serranos, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 (2 1/2–3-lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed
³⁄₄ cup plain, full-fat yogurt
³⁄₄ whole milk
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground mace
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

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Instructions

Step 1

Grind coconut, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, 15 white peppercorns, 10 cashews, and the green cardamom in a spice grinder into a powder; set aside.

Step 2

Melt ghee in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook remaining peppercorns, the kala jeera, cloves, black cardamom, bay leaves, and cinnamon until fragrant and seeds begin to pop, 1–2 minutes. Add chiles, garlic, onion, and ginger; cook until golden, 8–10 minutes. Add chicken, yogurt, milk, mace, and salt; boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir in reserved spice powder; cook, covered slightly, and stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 20–22 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a serving platter. Stir remaining cashews into sauce; simmer until slightly thickened, 4–6 minutes; spoon over chicken and garnish with cilantro.

Grind coconut, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, 15 white peppercorns, 10 cashews, and the green cardamom in a spice grinder into a powder; set aside.
Melt ghee in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook remaining peppercorns, the kala jeera, cloves, black cardamom, bay leaves, and cinnamon until fragrant and seeds begin to pop, 1–2 minutes. Add chiles, garlic, onion, and ginger; cook until golden, 8–10 minutes. Add chicken, yogurt, milk, mace, and salt; boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir in reserved spice powder; cook, covered slightly, and stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 20–22 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a serving platter. Stir remaining cashews into sauce; simmer until slightly thickened, 4–6 minutes; spoon over chicken and garnish with cilantro.