- 2 Cornish game hens (about 1½ pounds each), skin removed, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Paste
- 2 teaspoons Balti Masala
- 2 teaspoons ground Kashmiri chiles; or ½ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper) mixed with 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1¼ teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
- Vegetable cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons Ghee or butter
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup chopped fresh or frozen fenugreek leaves (thawed if frozen); or 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, soaked in a bowl of water and skimmed off before use
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
- ½ cup half and half
- Using a sharp knife, make four slits in each hen half: two into the breast meat, one in the outer thigh meat, and one in the inner thigh meat. Place the hens in a baking dish, meat side up.
- Combine the yogurt, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, balti masala, Kashmiri chiles, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl, and whisk to blend. Smear the hen halves with this orange-red marinade, making sure to stuff some of it into the slits. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight, to allow the flavors to permeate the meat.
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high, or preheat the oven to 350°F.
- If you are grilling, spray the grill grate with cooking spray. Place the hens, meat side down, on the grate. (Reserve any marinade for basting the hens.) Cover, and grill the hens, basting them occasionally with the remaining marinade and turning them over halfway through, until the meat in the thickest parts is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the hens to a serving platter and cover them with aluminum foil to keep them warm while you quickly make the sauce.
- If you are oven-roasting the hens, place a rack in a roasting pan and spray it with cooking spray. Place the hens, meat side down, on the rack. (Reserve any marinade for basting the hens.) Roast, basting them occasionally with the remaining marinade and turning them over halfway through, until the meat in the thickest parts is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes. Transfer the hens to a serving platter and cover them with aluminum foil to keep them warm while you quickly make the sauce.
- To make the sauce, heat the ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, fenugreek, cayenne, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld, 5 to 10 minutes. Then stir in the half-and-half and continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to let it warm, 2 to 4 minutes.
- To serve the curry, cut the hens into smaller pieces and toss them with the sauce.