Mango Chicken Kadai – Tangy Wok Cooked Chicken – Delicious!

I can not tell a lie! This dish is fabulously, finger licking delicious! Tangy from the green, unripe mangoes : The ‘cooling agent’ to perfectly balance this chicken dish. The smoky aroma that fills your kitchen will have everyone asking, “What’s Cooking?”  Lovely presentation at your dining table – scroll down for the Video.

Mango Chicken Kadai – Yum

Mango Chicken Kadai – Tangy Wok Cooked Chicken – Delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken : skinless, with bone – cut into small pieces.
• 20 cashew-nuts
• 1 large green mango  (Unripe – use according to tartness – see notes)
• 2 generous tsp garlic paste
• 2 generous tsp  ginger paste
• 2 generous tsp  green chilli  paste (mild finger length green chillies)
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 4-5 cloves (the spice – laung)
• 2 onions sliced
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 2 rounded tsp coriander powder
• 1 ½ tsp rounded kashmir chilli powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• handful of coriander leaves
• 3 Tbsp sunflower/vegetable oil
• 1 extra tsp of oil, ½ tsp kashmiri chill powder, towards the end
• You will need a large wok(kadai) with a lid and a small piece of charcoal.

Method:

• Rinse the cut up chicken pieces very well.
• Drain for 10 minutes.
• To make the ginger, garlic and green chili pastes : In the small jar of your mixer/grinder , grind the garlic to a smooth paste first.
• Remove to a ceramic dish. In same jar continue to grind the ginger next. Remove.
• Next the green chillies. Remove.
• Peel the mango. (Keep a few small diced pieces WITH SKIN for garnish) Chop up the skinned mango into small dice. Take 4 Tbsp of this and grind to a smooth paste as well. Reserve the remaining chopped skinless mango for later along with the diced mango with skin (for garnish).
• (When grinding the above ingredients, Do not add water or if necessary only a few drops. If you find it hard to grind, add a little more of the ingredient at hand and scrape down from the sides. Alternatively, use a pestle and mortar to pound to a fine paste.)
• Take half the quantities of the garlic paste, ginger paste, green chilli paste and  garam masala Take all  the pureed mango too as well as 1 tsp salt.
• Marinate the chicken with these as well as the whole cashew-nuts in a large bowl, covered in the fridge for 1-2 hours at least.
• Keep all the ground ingredients, covered to prevent any discoloration.
• When it’s time to cook, keep the chicken out at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Move the chicken to the sides of the bowl and place a small steel tumbler/cup in the centre.

• (Tip on how to get lovely restaurant aroma at home) Heat the charcoal on an open flame till it’s piping (RED) Hot. Heat till it turns white over the surface.

• Immediately place inside the steel tumbler and drop in the cloves  (spice) as well and pour 1 Tbsp of oil over it. As it begins to smoke, quickly cover the bowl and place a weight on top if needed to prevent the smoke from escaping.

• Leave like this for 10 minutes or so, allowing the chicken to develop a lovely smoky aroma. Later discard the charcoal.
• Heat remaining oil in the wok.
• Add the sliced onions and cook till translucent.

• Add the remaining garlic paste, ginger paste, green chilli paste and stir for about 2 minutes.

• Add the marinated, smoked chicken and toss well for 2 minutes.

• Now add the spices: coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric, and remaining garam masala. Toss to coat. (In the video I added the spices, before the chicken- in this case- careful not to burn the spices).

• Next add the reserved skinless, diced mango and fold in to the masala.

• Cook on high heat, tossing.(sprinkle water if it’s getting too dry on the bottom of the wok.)
• Taste and add the ¼ tsp salt or as needed. Add  ¾ cup water and the fresh coriander leaves(cilantro). Cover the wok and cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• (If you would like more gavy , reduce the cooking time : I prefer very little  gravy for this dish.)
• While serving, Place the chicken and gravy in the serving platter, heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan till smoking. Remove the pan from heat and add ½ tsp kashmir chilli powder. Pour this on top of the plated chicken. Garnish with the diced mango.
• Serve hot with rice, naan or roti, garnished with the diced mango (with peel).

• Yummy or what???

Mango Chicken Kadai – Tangy Wok Cooked Chicken – Delicious!

Try it and let us know – Mango Chicken Kadai – Tangy Wok Cooked Chicken – Delicious! .

• As mangos are always different in tartness, taste the chicken before adding the diced mango. If the puree has already ample tartness, you may choose to add less of the diced mango. However, this tangy hint is the punch line of this lovely dish!
• Do not add an excess amount of  fresh coriander for garnish as this tends to reduce the impact of the smoky aroma somewhat.