Gobi Chicken - Pakistani

My mother has always said things like when you make a Chicken dish you lean towards the ginger and with red meat you are garlic forward. I don't always follow those particular rules, but what I do believe is that you have to cook chicken differently than beef. The two are not always interchangeable. Gobi Chicken is a great example. I have a Gobi Gosht recipe up already and it's deep, meaty, heady and one that I absolutely love. Gobi Chicken I treat a little differently.

In fact this recipe is adapted from one my husbands mother makes. When she makes it she uses something called Khattai, a dried mango that lends a subtly sour flavour to her dishes. I had not heard of Khattai until I was married and even now use it quite sparingly so I decided to leave it out of those Gobi Chicken. If you do have it then simply add it to the dish with the Gobi.

What makes Gobi Chicken Good

The process for this dish is straightforward. You saute onions, add a little crushed garlic, spices, saute chicken, tenderize, add cauliflower, cook till done. Then in that last five minutes you add the transformative things - the crisp julienne-d ginger, chopped scallions, minced cilantro, sliced chillies, some freshly cracked pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to finish it off. Suddenly you've gone from a standard chicken dish to a truly special one.

Whereas I love having Gobi Gosht with paratha on my indulgent days Gobi Chicken is best suited to some chapati or naan. They are perfect for sopping up the masala and are a great counterpoint to the lighter brighter flavours of Gobi Chicken.

Making this Gobi Chicken? Don't forget to let me know what you think! I love hearing from you guys! Want to share a pic? Even better. Tag me on Instagram @flourandspiceblog - Happy Cooking friends!

Print Recipe

4.89 from 9 votes

Gobi Chicken

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Servings: 4

Author: Sarah Mir

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb Boneless Chicken cut into 1.5 inch cubes
• ▢ ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
• ▢ ½ cup Onion (1 medium) finely diced
• ▢ 1 tsp Garlic Paste
• ▢ ½ tsp Ginger Paste
• ▢ ½ tsp Coriander Powder
• ▢ ½ tsp Cumin Powder
• ▢ ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• ▢ ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ▢ 1 tsp Salt
• ▢ 4-5 whole green chilies
• ▢ 2 - 2.5 cups Cauliflower Florets - half a large cauliflower or one small one

Garnishes

• ▢ 2 inch piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks
• ▢ ½ cup Scallions, green parts only
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
• ▢ freshly cracked black pepper
• ▢ lemon juice, just a squeeze for seasoning

Instructions

• Heat a pan and add a generous lug of oil (about ¼ cup)
• Add the cumin seeds to the pan and when they sizzle add the diced onions
• Once the edges of the onion start to turn golden brown then add the ginger and garlic paste
• Stir and then add all the dry spices and salt.
• Saute for a minute and then add the chicken
• Keep cooking the chicken on medium high heat, stirring to ensure that the colour changes and the chicken starts to look cooked.
• Add the green chilies and a cup of water to the pan.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer with a lid on for about 25 minutes.
• The chicken should be cooked through but not quite tender.
• Gently mix in your cauliflower florets, cover and cook for another 10-12 minutes or until they're just fork tender, not mushy.
• Taste, adjust seasoning.
• Now add the remaining ingredients - the scallions, ginger, cilantro, a few grinds of pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Turn the stove off and let sit for a few minutes before serving with some Roti or Naan.

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