Cast Iron

Tamarind Skillet Chicken

by:
January  8, 2018
3.3
3 Ratings
Tamarind Skillet Chicken
Photo by Alanna Taylor-Tobin
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This recipe (and headnote) comes from the cookbook Masala & Meatballs by Asha Shivakumar.

I absolutely love to cook some of my traditional dishes in a cast-iron pan, and many people say that food tastes so good cooked this way. I have to agree. Use only salt to wash the pan and take care good of it.

This is a two-step dish. Marinating the chicken helps to season it and keep it moist. Then adding it to the masala intensifies and makes it special. I recommend getting a block of tamarind and using fresh instead of the bottled paste, which is too concentrated and just too potent. You can even add the tamarind masala sauce to the yogurt mixture, marinate overnight and grill the chicken the next day.

Featured In: I Finally Know the Indian Mom–Approved Trick to Better Chicken —Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Marinade:
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) thick full-fat yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) ginger garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil
  • 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
  • 6 large chicken thighs
  • Tamarind Masala Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons (10 g) coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon (6 g) cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (meethi)
  • 10-12 whole red chiles, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons (16 g) white sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) thick tamarind pulp, or 2 tsp (9 g) tamarind paste mixed in 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
  • 10–15 pearl onions
  • 1/3 cup (80 g) ketchup (I use Maggi Hot and Sweet sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon (14 g) tomato paste (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Lemon wedges, for garnish
Directions
  1. To make the marinade, combine all the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the chicken to the bowl, turn to coat, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight (overnight is best).
  2. To make the sauce, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and whole red chiles in a skillet over low heat until you smell the spices, about 1 minute. Do not let the spices burn. Turn off the heat, add the sesame seeds to the hot pan and stir for a minute or two. Transfer to a blender along with the tamarind pulp and blend to a very smooth paste. Don’t add any water.
  3. Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet or kadai and let it get hot over high heat. Add the chicken with the marinade mix. Let it sear and cook and one side. After about 2 minutes, turn the chicken and sear it for another 3 minutes. Then add the pearl onions and toss and brown them. Add the sauce, ketchup, tomato paste and salt, cover the pan and cook the chicken over medium heat for 20 minutes until it is fork tender. Open and check if the chicken is completely cooked. Then uncover the pan and let it dry down until all the sauce sticks to the chicken, tossing occasionally. Serve garnished with some chopped cilantro and a drizzle of lemon juice, with rice or naan.
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4 Reviews

ozbaker
ozbaker January 28, 2024
Hi Asha. Your recipe doesn't specify bone-in, skin-on thighs, or boneless & skinless thighs. I have to assume it's the former. Care to clarify? I look forward to cooking this soon.
 
Kay J.
Kay J. October 5, 2019
This recipe would benefit from more detailed ingredient specifications. Since Dry Chilies were not specified I bought fresh. Not sure this will work, now. The Wet Seedless Tamarind I got seems to actually be Tamarind Paste.
It would be better to grind the spices and seeds first then add wet ingredients. We shall see how it goes. I had to add the 1/2 cup water...
 
Catherine H.
Catherine H. January 9, 2018
Must be the same reason my southern grandmas always soaked chicken overnight in buttermilk before cooking the next day. Their chicken dishes were scrumptious and the chicken was always tender and succulent regardless of the dish!
 
Steve
Steve January 9, 2018
Big fan of yogurt marinades. I mix them up a bit depending on what I have on hand. Usually I'm generous with garam masala, garlic & fresh cilantro. Sometimes add ginger, extra cumin or ever else inspires as I'm putting the marinade together.