Spring 2020Bombay Brew: Masala Chicken Legs Recipe

Austin Hopley, head chef at Bombay Brew in Rochdale town centre, gives us his favourite recipe for a very easy, super tasty North Indian-inspired chicken leg curry.

If you and your diners are not too keen on meat with bones, you can substitute legs for boneless chicken thighs. I highly recommend dark chicken meat so you do not lose any of that lovely moisture (plus it is usually a bit cheaper).

If you follow the recipe, you should end up with a medium curry but you can make it hotter by  using sriracha instead of chilli paste and bird’s eye chillies instead of green chillies.

You can use paneer or jackfruit instead of chicken for a veggie or vegan version of this dish.

Marinade:

• 4 skin-on bone-in chicken legs (slightly score with a knife to help the  marinade seep in a little more) or 400g of paneer or 2 cans of jackfruit (drained)
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt
• The zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon of a good chilli paste (can substitute for sriracha - Flying Goose brand is my favourite)
• 2 garlic cloves - thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon of minced coriander
• 4 tablespoons of natural yoghurt

Whole spices:

• 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons of whole cumin seeds

Ground spices:

• 2 tablespoons of garam masala
• 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder

Curry sauce base:

• 5 tablespoons of neutral oil (like rapeseed or sunflower oil)
• 4 green chillies - thinly sliced (bird’s eye chilli - if you can handle the heat)
  Reserve one sliced chilli to garnish
• 1 tablespoon of a good chilli paste (can substitute for sriracha)
• 1 white onion - thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves - crushed
• 2 inches of ginger - sliced very thinly
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
• 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 4 fresh tomatoes - quartered
• 1 bunch of coriander - leaves and stalks separated and both finely minced (reserve 1 tablespoon for the chicken  marinade, and some whole coriander leaves to garnish)
• 200ml of water
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Preparation:

Firstly, you are going to need at least two hours’ marinating time for the best results.

In a mixing bowl, add all of the marinade ingredients, except the chicken legs (or your chosen alternative), into a bowl and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. You may taste your marinade to check the seasoning before you add the raw chicken. If you desire, you can always add a little more salt.

Once you are happy with your marinade, you can then add your chicken legs (or your chosen  alternative) and carefully massage the marinade in. Cover your mixing bowl with cling film and pop it into the fridge for at least two hours or overnight; the longer you leave it, the better. I prefer to leave my marinade overnight. That makes this dish perfect to prepare ahead of a busy day.

Method:

Get all of your ingredients ready to throw into the pan. This not only speeds up your cooking process, but helps keep the kitchen a little tidier too.

To start your masala sauce, heat five tablespoons of oil to a medium heat. Once your oil is heated, throw in your whole spices.

Once the mustard seeds are starting to pop around in the oil, add your prepared green chillies, chilli paste, white onion, crushed garlic and ginger to the pan. You are looking to add a little colour to your onions, but not too much. This should take four/five minutes cooking time.

Once your onions are golden brown, add your tomato puree. You need to cook your paste down for two/three minutes. I find adding one or two tablespoons of granulated sugar helps take the tartness away from the concentrated paste.

Now it’s time for the rest of your ingredients. Arrange your chicken legs (or your chosen  alternative)  into the pan along with your fresh tomatoes, coriander stalks and ground spices. Give the new ingredients a toss around in the pan and add 200ml of cold water and a teaspoon of sea salt. Cover your pan with a lid, pop your feet up and check back on it in 20-25 minutes.

Your new favourite curry should now be ready. You can always add a little more salt if you desire, and a splash of yoghurt to tone down the spice. I like to serve with brown rice and garnish with some fresh coriander and a little extra chopped green chilli.