Chicken Chettinad Masala - Not For the Faint of Heart

Although, I am a big fan of Indian cuisine, I'm not much of a fan of Indian restaurants (at least here in America).  First of all, most of them run buffets during lunch, which may be the only time you can get to them.  The quality of food on a buffet always takes a hit because of the large quantities prepared, and necessity to hold the food at a particular temperature to assure safety dries it all out.  Have you ever had tandoori chicken from a buffet that wasn't as desiccant as the Thar?  I know I haven't.

Additionally, the food served at most restaurants in America fails to deliver truly aromatic and flavorful dishes one expects from the Indian subcontinent for two reasons:

1.  Spices are expensive and Indian food uses a lot of them.  For this reason, a lot of restaurants cut back on the amount they use to reduce costs.  Your vindaloo might taste like ketchup, and your roghan josh will arrive to your table a deep red color from the paprika they used in place of the pleasantly piquant Kashmiri chiles, which create a burnt orange hue, not ruby. 

2.  Your curry is probably drowned in heavy cream!  Even if you aren't ordering korma or chicken makhani, the kind proprietors of your local Indian establishment have caught onto the fact that Americans love creamy, fatty foods, so they started throwing it into everything they make, further muting the essential spices.  

The solution to all of this is to make your own Indian food at home.  Desi people are a huge immigrant group in the U.S. and worldwide (England, the Caribbean, Spain).  Chances are there's an Indian or Desi grocery store near your humble abode.  This means you can get the necessary stuff to make proper Indian cuisine, probably saving money along the way, too. 

Not Your Amma's Rogan Josh

First, a disclaimer: In no way does this recipe claim to be an authentic interpretation of Kashmiri rogan josh, hence the title, "Not Your Amma's (common Indian term for grandma) Rogan Josh."

"Real" rogan josh comes from the Kashmir region of India, where they have Kashmir chilies (mirch/i).  These chilies give the dish its signature red color, but are not necessarily easy to procure in their whole form.  Ground kashmir chilli powder can be found in certain Desi groceries, however, "real" rogan josh is supposed to have the dried whole mirchi.  Paprika is also a common substitute in Indian restaurants due to its color and mild flavor.