Chicken with Tamarind & Palm Sugar 🌶 🇮🇳

I spotted the recipe for this magnificent dish from a cookbook about Indian regional foods and decided to give it a try.  I was intrigued by the use of Sichuan peppercorns, normally associated with Chinese cooking, together with the more traditional Indian spices.  The origins of this dish being Nepal and north eastern India, close to the Chinese borders, explains it.  There is a long list of ingredients, so we are pulling out all the stops to host a party for an array of dried spices and fresh herbs.  Freshly ground spices take the dish to another level.  (I use a coffee grinder.)  Tamarind and palm sugar  stirred into the pot when the chicken is tender adds a pleasant sweet and tangy overtone.  A whole jointed chicken is used, which is important not only because the bones contribute to flavour but it is a way to do justice to a dish like this.  If you can get pre-jointed pieces from the shops, it is also fine. 

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 chicken, about 1.5kg / 3lb 4oz
• 1 teaspoon salt
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
• 25g/ 1oz ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 large ripe tomatoes (about 200g / 7oz), roughly chopped
• 4 makrut lime leaves, shredded
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 1 heaped tablespoon palm sugar
• 4 fresh green cayenne chillies, halved lengthwise
• 2 heaped tablespoons coriander, chopped

METHOD

1. Joint the chicken and trim off any excess fat.  Rub ½ teaspoon salt and lime juice all over the chicken pieces.  Set aside. 
2. Grind the Sichuan peppercorns, cardamom, coriander, cumin and dried red chillies in a grinder or mortar and pestle.
3. In a food processor, puree onions, ginger and garlic until smooth.
4. Heat oil in a large heavy based pan or a balti dish over medium heat.  Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and let them sizzle for about 15 seconds.
5. Add the pureed onion, garlic and ginger mixture.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the ground spices and the turmeric and cook for a further minute.
6. Add the tomatoes to the pan.  Continue to cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until a thick sauce or masala is formed.
7. Add the chicken together with the lime leaves.  Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken pieces are opaque and coated with the sauce.
8. Add 1 cup of water and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
9. Stir in the tamarind paste, palm sugar and green chillies.  Cook uncovered for a further 2-3 minutes.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander.  Serve with basmati rice.

Source (with adaptations): 'The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook' by Mridula Baljekar