Burnt Masala Wings

Name: Burnt Masala Chicken Wings
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients: 8 black cardamom pods; 3 green cardamom pods; 3 chiles de árbol; 2 2" cinnamon sticks; 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns; 1½ tsp. whole cloves; Juice of 2 lemons; Juice of 4 limes; 2 serrano chiles, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 4" piece ginger, finely chopped; 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt; 4 lb. chicken wings; ½ cup tamarind concentrate (such as Swad); 2 Tbsp. sugar; 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter; 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp. hot chili sauce (such as Sriracha); ½ bunch cilantro, tough stems discarded, chopped; A spice mill or mortar and pestle

By Preeti Mistry

March 16, 2021

Burnt Masala Wings recipe from chef Preeti Mistry

Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Frances Boswell, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

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 notes

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