National Curry Week: Atul Kochhar of Benares

Atul Kochhar is fast becoming a household name thanks to three high-end Indian restaurants, three books and regular TV appearances on Saturday Kitchen. After becoming the first Indian Michelin-starred chef during his time at Tamarind, he left to open his first solo venture, Benares in London in 2002, which also received a Michelin star in 2007 for its fusion of European and Indian cuisines.

While Kochhar has so far this year opened the successful Vatika in Hampshire and Ananda in Dublin, plans are underway to open Sindhu, a fine-dining restaurant on board P&Os new Azura cruise ship, which is due for completion in 2010.

Here are Kochhar’s top tips for cooking curry, and the recipe for his favourite dish Murg Tariwala, a home-style chicken curry from north India.

Kochhar’s top tips for making curry

1. For Indian food, ginger/garlic paste is essential. To make a good paste, use equal quantities of ginger and garlic and mix with a little water and vegetable oil before blitzing in a blender. Use the paste within five to seven days, or freeze it in an ice cube tray so you can pull out a cube or two as and when you need them.
2. Always add whole spices to hot enough oil where it can sizzle to release the essential oils.
3. While saut™ing onions, add a pinch of salt; it helps to draw out the moisture faster and reduces cooking time.
4. Correct onion cooking is important for making curry. Only add ginger/garlic paste after achieving the right colour in saut™ing onions. Once you add the paste it seizes the cooking of an onion and you can’t colour them beyond that.
5. Always add powdered spices into the pan mixed with a little (2-3 tbps) of water, as it helps to cook them without burning.

Murg Tariwala – Home-style Chicken Curry from North India

“This recipe is best cooked with the free-range chicken on the bone, if it has to be boneless I prefer to cook with chicken thighs. Adding ginger towards the end is quite a unique step that enhances the flavour manifolds. This is my favourite recipe.”

Ingredients​
​600g Chicken thighs, boneless, cut into 1” dices
100ml Vegetable oil
1 Bay leaf
4 Green cardamoms
1” Cinnamon stick
10 Whole black pepper corns
1 Tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves

250g Onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
Half tsp red chilli powder
1 Tsp Coriander powder
Three-quarter tsp turmeric powder
100g tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 and a half tsp salt
1 Tsp Garam masala
2 Tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger

Method​
​Heat the oil in a pan, add spices & bay leaf, and stir till spices crackle & change their colour.
Add the chopped onions & saut™ till golden brown, then add the ginger/ garlic paste, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid the mix getting burnt. Add chicken thighs and saut™ for five to seven minutes or until evenly coloured.
Add the powdered spices, except the garam masala,. mix quickly without letting the spices burn at the bottom, and saut™ for one or two minutes.
Add salt, chopped tomatoes & tomato paste before cooking on a slow heat, stirring slowly for 12-15 minutes until chicken is cooked.
Sprinkle garam masala and simmer to finish cooking. Add chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle chopped ginger.