Burnt Masala Wings
Chef Preeti Mistry came up with the technique used in this recipe a few years ago when they were trying to replicate the unique smokiness that food gets when it’s cooked in a tandoor—just without the tandoor. Burning the spices re-creates at home the slightly bitter taste and smell you get from the 800°-plus oven. “Roasting, then grinding masala adds depth of flavor to the wings,” Mistry says. “The tamarind sauce is a nice tangy foil.”
If you don’t eat meat on holidays like Holi, skip these wings and find more of chef Preeti Mistry’s Holi party recipes here.
Recipe information
Yield
8 Servings
Ingredients
Burnt Masala
Marinade
Glaze and assembly
special equipment
Preparation
Burnt Masala
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast black and green cardamom pods, chiles de árbol, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and cloves on a small rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until chiles are nearly black and cloves are ashy gray, 8–10 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer chiles and spices to spice mill or mortar and pestle and let cool. Finely grind (you should have about ⅓ cup); set burnt masala aside.
Marinade
Step 3
Whisk lemon juice, lime juice, chiles, garlic, ginger, oil, salt, and 2 Tbsp. burnt masala in a large bowl to combine. Add wings and toss to coat in marinade. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
Glaze and assembly
Step 4
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Whisk tamarind, sugar, and ½ cup water in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved; set tamarind mixture aside.
Step 5
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and chili sauce and cook, stirring, until ginger browns slightly, about 4 minutes. Add reserved tamarind mixture, reduce heat to low, and simmer, whisking occasionally, until glaze is thick and glossy, 10–15 minutes. Let cool.
Step 6
Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with double layers of foil; place a wire rack inside each. Using tongs, remove wings from marinade, letting excess drip back into bowl, and divide among racks; discard marinade.
Step 7
Roast wings until golden, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven; turn wings over. Brush all over with glaze, return to oven and roast until wings are golden brown and cooked through and glaze is bubbling slightly, 10–15 minutes.
Step 8
Transfer wings to platter and scatter cilantro over.
