Spiced Chicken Thighs

I had the house to myself last night and had the fixings for Spiced Chicken Thighs so I gave it a whirl. There was a little bit of a challenge with this recipe, which is not usually the case when cooking from Myrecipes.com, and that came in the form of garam masala. I expected to be able to buy this spice blend in a supermarket; not so. I began then to scout around the internet for a recipe and came across many. The one I chose was from the Food Network:

Garam Masala

2 Tbsp cumin seed

2 Tbsp coriander seed

2 Tsp cardamon seed (I shelled these first)

1 3-inch stick cinnamon (broken up)

3/4 Tsp cloves

1.5 Tbsp black peppercorns

2 bay leaves (broken up)

Put all spices in a heavy skillet and roast on low medium heat until it becomes darkened and aromatic, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool and then grind fine, I did this with a mortar and pestle although a clean coffee grinder would be quicker.

What a treat! The house smelled great and I knew that the spiced chicken was going to be pretty special. The garam masala is mixed with a little curry and rubbed on the skinless chicken thighs then browned in a hot skillet. Red wine, chicken stock and sauteed onions are added and it's all braised for about 15 minutes. I served it over jasmine rice and it was amazing.