Dishoom’s Ruby Chicken

I kicked off my virtual tour with the first country I’d traveled to, and now we’re going with the last one: the United Kingdom. And for that, I’m going with one of the delicious dishes I ate on my trip there last April. Or, I should say two Aprils ago, with Dishoom’s Ruby Chicken.

April two years ago? That’s so long ago, right? Le sigh. Twenty twenty, you were a wasted year.

Anyway, two years ago on a whim Ham and I went to London for a WEJ, and while we focused mainly on market food (because it’s the best!), we did treat ourselves to both a boozy brunch and a pre-theatre dinner at Covent Garden’s famous eatery, Dishoom.

dishoom's ruby chicken

This was my choice since it has been buzzed about for so long, it seems, and the line out the door was indicative of that. After waiting over an hour, we sat down to the most delicious curry, unlike any other that I’d had before or have since. The ruby chicken was a fan favorite and so both of us ordered it and sure enough, it did not disappoint. It’s been in the back of my head ever since to make it at home, and here we are two years later.

When I told Mom that I was making a curry to represent my UK travels, she thought it was odd, but really, it almost makes the most sense.

ruby chicken curry

And while you might think this looks like your standard tikka masala or butter chicken, trust me, it is so much more than that!

I stayed pretty true to the recipes I found on and merged the two from The Guardian and I am a Food Blog to make my own. One of the big differences is that I used bone-in, skin-on thighs and cooked them in the pan rather than broiling or grilling them separate. I really just wanted to make this a one-pot meal.

At home, this was just as good as I remembered it. I recommend you make it, immediately.

I also recommend you hit up Dishoom next time you’re in London, but try one of the other locations around the city to avoid the wait in Covent Garden.

Someday…

Dishoom's Ruby Chicken

January 29, 2021

Servings: 4

Cook: 40 min

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Dishoom's ruby chicken is a fan favorite at its restaurants, and here's how to create this delicious curry at home!

By: Chrissy

Ingredients

For the chicken:
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2" piece fresh ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, very finely diced
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup full fat plain yogurt
1 tsp chili powder
For the curry sauce:
2 TB vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, separated
2" fresh ginger
28 ounces canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TB honey
For the rest:
1 TB butter
2 TB heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
To serve:
rice
naan

Directions

Step 1 First, marinate the chicken. To a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the chicken and mix well. Add the chicken thighs and coat very thoroughly. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 2 When you’re ready to make the curry, add the oil to a large, high-sided skilled over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of the garlic, and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Remove from the pan.
Step 3 To the oil, add the bay leave, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and fenugreek and fry about 2 minutes. Push to the side of the pan.
Step 4 To the pan, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook about 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Step 5 Back to the pan with the spices, add the tomatoes, salt, chili powder, garam masala, grated ginger, remaining garlic, and cumin. Add the chicken back to the pan, cover and cook over medium heat about 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the sugar and honey to the pan and cook on medium-low for another 15 minutes. Add the cream and mix well.* Add the cilantro and fried garlic. Serve with naan or rice.
Step 6 *after you add the cream, you an remove the chicken, cinnamon sticks and any loose cardamom pods (don’t dig too hard for them, just if you see big chunks), you can use an immersion blender to blend the sauce to creamy. It’s just as good if you leave it alone, just a personal preference.
Step 7 Serve with rice or naan.