Aloo Chicken

Published April 18, 2024

Aloo Chicken
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
1 hour 5 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(813)
Comments
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This version of a traditional Punjabi chicken and potato stew uses some shortcuts — boneless chicken and chicken stock instead of whole chicken thighs, and cashew butter in place of ground cashews — to produce a quick, one-pot meal with complex flavors. The quality of the stock heavily influences the end result, so reach for the best. Onion, ginger, garlic, chile powder and garam masala layer on sweetness and heat while cashew butter adds a rich nuttiness. Serve with lemon wedges for a final hit of brightness. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings 
  • ¼cup ghee or oil
  • 1teaspoon cumin seeds  
  • 1large red onion, chopped
  • 1tablespoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger (from a 3-inch piece)
  • 1tablespoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic (about 6 cloves)
  • 2pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ¾ inch pieces  
  • Salt
  • teaspoons Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder 
  • 1teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½teaspoon ground turmeric 
  • teaspoons garam masala 
  • 3roma tomatoes, chopped, or ¼ cup chopped canned tomatoes 
  • 1tablespoon cashew butter
  • 3medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¾ inch pieces
  • 2cups unsalted chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 1 to 3Thai green chiles, chopped, to taste
  • 2tablespoons cilantro 
  • Lemon wedges, for serving 
  • Rice or roti, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

697 calories; 26 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 55 grams protein; 1644 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat ghee in a medium-pot, about 10-inches wide, on medium for 30 seconds. Add cumin seeds and continue cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in onion, ginger and garlic and cook until the onion softens and starts to become translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the chicken and a large pinch of salt. Increase the heat to high and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the chicken turns golden and most of the liquid in the pot has evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chile powder, cumin powder, turmeric and 1 teaspoon garam masala. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt.

  3. Step 3

    When the tomatoes start to break down, after 2 to 4 minutes, stir in the cashew butter followed by the potatoes, stock, green chiles and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook on medium heat until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Top with cilantro and remaining ½ teaspoon garam masala. Serve with lemon wedges and rice or roti.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
813 user ratings
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Comments

Just made this tonight and it was a huge hit. I didn’t have Kashmiri chili so I used a blend of sweet & spicy paprikas and I didn’t have cashew butter so I used tahini. I used homemade chicken stock & also added approx 1/4 coconut milk at the end. The squeeze of lemon really rounds out the flavor! Definitely adding this to the rotations!

This is a great recipe! Especially with thighs. Any good cook knows that fat is flavor, and that is yet another reason why thighs are superior to breasts. Chicken thighs are a fattier cut of meat, which means they're going to have more intense, rich flavor than their white meat counterparts. Also, when creating recipes for people of all levels, thighs are more forgiving and won’t dry out like a breast.

Chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks) and chicken bones impart a considerable more flavour into a dish than breasts (see serious eats white chicken stock for proof). Plus the extra time taken to tenderise chicken legs, naturally results in more flavour in the broth/sauce because longer cooking extracts more flavour from the ingredients used.

The key to making this a super delicious dish is the ¼ cup of ghee. These days ghee is available at any major grocery store. It's definitely worth the investment. As for cashew butter, one can make just enough cashew butter in the your spice blender with whole cashews (use the rest for cocktails). Kashmiri pepper is easily available online. Once you have it around, you will start to use it in all kinds of things. My recommendation: make the recipe as written. You won't regret it.

This was delicious. I felt that it yielded far more than 4 servings as written though- served with rice - I’m excited for leftovers.

This was delish! Used sunflower oil instead of ghee, jalapeno in place of thai chili, and I decided to mash up some cashews with mortar and pestle in place of cashew butter. I probably would double or triple up on cashews next time.

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