Recipe: Atul Kochhar's murg tariwala home-style chicken curry

Renowned “spice sorcerer” Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef to win a Michelin star, will be bringing his fine dining to Scotland for the first time when he appears at Signature Fine Dining Festival in Aberdeen next month.

The first festival of its kind, Signature will bring Atul and six other top chefs to the Granite City for 12 days of incredible foodie experiences. Each chef will host a special evening at The Chester Hotel, serving up an exclusive tasting menu for discerning diners.

“On my menu for Signature, the ingredients will be locally-sourced and I’ll be replicating some of my most popular dishes from my own restaurants.”

— Atul Kochhar

Ahead of his trip north of the border, Atul said: “It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit so to be able to see this part of the country while sharing my menu with a new audience is something very special.

“I think there is still some mystique surrounding Indian cuisine and it’s always good for me to be able to work with British chefs to show them how they can introduce new flavours into their own cooking style.

“Although I have never visited the area, I am very familiar with its produce. Soon after coming to the UK I learned that Scotland has some of the best raw ingredients available and I continue to use Scottish produce on my menus. In season, Scottish spring lamb is absolutely sensational, and I adore seafood, especially hand-dived scallops, prawns and salmon.”

If you weren’t lucky enough to snap up tickets for Atul’s evening at Signature, we’ve got you covered! Here’s Atul Kochhar’s Murg Tariwala recipe, a delicious home-style chicken curry that’s surprisingly easy to whip up at home.

Atul Kochhar’s Murg Tariwala Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 600g of chicken thighs, boneless, cut into 1 inch dices

• 100ml vegetable oil

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 green cardamom

• 1 inch cinnamon stick

• 10 whole black pepper corns

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 cloves

• 250g onions, finely sliced

• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• ½ tsp red chilli powder

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• ¾ tsp turmeric powder

• 100g tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

• 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add spices and bay leaf, and stir till spices crackle and change their colour.

2. Next add the chopped onions and sauté till golden brown.

3. Add the ginger-garlic paste, stir continuously and keep scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid the mix getting burnt.

4. Add chicken thighs and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until evenly coloured.

5. Next add the powdered spices except the garam masala. Mix quickly, don’t let the spices get burnt at the bottom, sauté for 1-2 minutes.

6. Add salt, chopped tomatoes and paste.

7. Cook on slow heat, stirring slowly for 12-15 minutes until chicken is cooked.

8. Sprinkle garam masala and simmer to finish cooking.

9. Add chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle chopped ginger for decoration. Serve with rice or naan bread.