Hariyali means greenery in Hindi but it also has a more nuanced cultural meaning: it is often used as a term of blessing. Elders will touch the head of a child, saying “Tere taqdeer mein hariyali bhar ke aaye, tum phoolon phalo”—may you thrive and flourish. It is a blessing of abundance.
This was one of the first dishes I learned to cook when I came to England, since the butcher in Cambridge sold skinless chicken thighs. In India, we rarely eat chicken with the skin on; the masalas can penetrate the meat more easily without it. So, I was surprised to see chicken sold with the skin on it. I struggled when taking the skin off until someone told me to use paper towels to grab the skin to pull it off before cooking. Here, the skinless (but bone-in) chicken is rubbed with a simple herby yogurt marinade, then baked in a roasting pan.
This recipe was excerpted from 'Ammu' by Asma Khan. Buy the full book on Amazon. This book was selected as one of the Epicurious top cookbooks of 2022.
What you’ll need
Mini Food Processor
$70 $55 At Amazon
Roasting Pan
$40 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the marinade
Preparation
Step 1
To make the marinade, use a mini food processor or hand blender to blend the chopped herbs and chiles with the yogurt.
Step 2
Put the chicken in a bowl, add the marinade to cover it completely, then cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably 6 hours, or overnight. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a roasting pan with a large piece of foil that overhangs the edges.
Step 4
Season the marinated chicken with the salt and place in the lined roasting pan. Dot with the butter. Fold the foil over the chicken and bake for 1½ hours.
Step 5
Open up the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes to reduce the liquid. Serve with slices of lime.
Recipe notes
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