Chaat and Chai’s Dhaba Chicken

Over the course of their 30-year friendship, Margie Felton and Anney Thomas have often encouraged each other to believe that individual aims will win favor from fate. The cheery chums decided a few years ago to mesh their dreams into a combined pursuit of owning a restaurant and reveled Nov. 10 with the opening of Chaat and Chai, 1532 Snyder Ave.

“We’re still figuring out the market and determining what people want, but we’re thrilled with the whole process,” Felton said from the three-month-old Newbold establishment. “We like presenting these foods to people because we’re enthused about them.”

Thomas finds herself especially excited, as the space offers dishes from her Indian heritage. As a mix of street foods and curries, the menu helps the colleagues to charm 20 diners when at full capacity and to foster a new phase of their connection as culinary practitioners.

“We started to think of having our own place four or five years ago,” Thomas, a resident of 12th Street and Snyder Avenue, said of an original desire to have a business in Felton’s Germantown turf. “Now that we’re here, we’re seeing so much possibility through what we prepare, and that certainly helps our friendship.”

Through Felton’s Johnson & Wales University education and Thomas’s home-based tutelage, patrons will never lack for careful consideration of their enjoyment of spicy or mild fare, with the proprietors deciding to share a recipe that has appealed to those favoring the latter sort.

“It’s a North Indian-style curry,” Thomas said of the Dhaba Chicken, which she said fits with Chaat and Chai’s philosophy of presenting eye-appealing and stomach-pleasing cuisine, with a few other curries soon likely to complement the poultry provision and its counterparts. “It helps us to have a balanced menu, and I’d say it will be quite fun for people to make at home, too.”

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken

2 cups of onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1 tablespoon of ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

A pinch of ground cloves

A pinch of ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

1 cup of chopped tomatoes or 3/4 cup of canned tomato puree

1 cup of water

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

Garam masala

Directions:

Season the chicken with one teaspoon of salt, and set aside. In a medium-sized pot, heat the oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, and sauté for about six minutes until they become soft. Stir them frequently to avoid burning.

Add the ginger, and sauté for one minute. Lower the heat slightly, and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Cook until they are fragrant, about one minute. Return the heat to medium, add the turmeric and the tomatoes, and simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, around five minutes.

Add the chicken, and coat it well with the sauce. Add the water, and stir. Cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer until cooked, approximately 10 minutes. Season the chicken curry with salt to taste. Transfer the chicken and the sauce to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with the garam masala, and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with rice or Indian bread such as naan or parotta. ■

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Chaat and Chai

Owners: Margie Felton and Anney Thomas

Opened: November 2015

1532 Snyder Ave.

215-271-1253 | chaatandchai.com

Photos by Tina Garceau

Owners Margie Felton and Anney Thomas