I never craved Indian food until I moved to New York City. Availability of the cuisine was limited where I grew up, but in my new home of Greenwich Village, it’s a totally different story. There are three Indian restaurants within 400 feet of my studio—my favorite being Surya.
Surya serves modern Indian cuisine in a space that’s actually quite roomy for the historic, often cramped neighborhood. The swanky interior includes a generous bar space with happy hour food and drink pricing all day on Tuesdays. (Discovering an all-day happy hour in New York City is like finding buried treasure.)
My favorite thing about Surya, though, is their chicken tikka masala. Ordering the dish to-go, putting on sweatpants, and watching true crime while trying not to spill red sauce on myself ranks high on my list of favorite Friday nights. The restaurant is open for takeout and delivery during the pandemic, but I’m displaced and unable to order it.
I prefer Surya’s chicken tikka masala to other restaurants because it’s drenched in a sweet and savory sauce. It’s hearty and soupy, and even though I rarely find chicken tikka masala prepared that way, it’s now my expectation of what the popular Indian dish should taste like. I attempted chicken tikka masala in a crockpot using an online recipe but when it turned out nothing like Surya’s, I went straight to the source. Head chef Abishek Sharma generously shared his recipe.
Ingredients:
25 oz tomato purée
6 oz tomato paste
Splash of Heavy cream
Splash of milk
2 tomatoes
2 red peppers
3 TB sugar (chef says you definitely need this for flavor)
2 onions
3 chicken breasts
Fennel
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Turmeric
Plain yogurt
Ginger garlic paste
Fenugreek
Prepare chicken: Marinate chicken for several hours in plain yogurt with ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt and red chili powder.
Roast red peppers and tomatoes in oven. Once done, add oil to a large pot. Sauté 2 chopped onions. Add cinnamon, fennel, and cardamom to the onions. Slice the roasted red peppers and tomatoes into chunks. Add them to the sautéed onions along with tomato purée, tomato paste, and 2 TB ginger garlic. Splash milk and heavy cream into sauce and allow it to cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is cooking, roast the marinated chicken in the oven. Once done, cut into pieces and add to sauce. Before serving, add 3 spoons of sugar to the sauce and chicken mixture. Serve over rice.
Restaurants and small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges but Chef Abishek remains grateful. “Throughout the current pandemic, we want to thank our customers and our community who make these hard times bearable,” he said. “We can’t wait to start welcoming our wonderful guests back into our home!”
Homemaking Surya’s chicken tikka masala was a delicious success but I look forward to visiting the restaurant in-person. Nobody makes chicken tikka masala quite like Chef Abishek!
“I’m passionate about changing the perception that Indian food is greasy, unhealthy and heavy to flavor-forward, fresh and invigorating. I hope to inspire everyone to try my cooking—which is influenced by my roots and showcases my passion—with an open palate,” Abishek said.
Surya is located at 154 Bleecker Street in New York City.
Thanks for sharing the recipe I love chicken tikka and also I like saag paneer Yum yum!!
. Thanks for sharing