Chicken Curry Recipe

Chicken Curry (Murgh Chole) Pic: Rishi Menon

 

Garbanzo beans aka kabula chana aka chole are a very versatile protein, with which we can experiment a lot. From salads, to soups to chilis we have seen chole in various avataars. Rishi & Suchi, the charming couple, went one step ahead and combined yet another versatile ingredient – chicken, with chana to make our indigenous Murgh chole ! Here’s the recipe…

Chicken pieces- ¼ kg  – Cut into pieces
Chickpeas (Kabuli Chana) / garbanzo beans*- 1 can
Onions – 2 medium sized (sliced)
Tomato – 2 medium sized
Ginger – 1 inch piece (sliced)
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Green chili – 1 no (sliced)
Cilantro/coriander leaves -1/4 cup chopped
Yoghurt / plain curd – 1 tbsp
Cloves – 10 nos
Cardamom – 2 nos
Peppercorns – 12 nos
Cinnamon sticks – one inch stick
Bay leaves – 2 nos
Star anise – 2 petals
Jeera/cumin seeds -1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Red chili powder -1 tsp
Heeng / Asafoetida -1/2 tsp
Punjabi chole masala (ready made)- 2 tsp
Ghee (clarified butter)- 1 tbsp
Cooking oil -2 tbsp
Salt to taste

*Nos means numbers

1. Marinate chicken with yoghurt,2 pinches of turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Cover and keep aside for atleast 15 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in a frying pan. Add 5 cloves,6 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods and the star anise petals. When these spices become dark add half the quantity of sliced onions and all ginger.
3. Saute till onions become slightly brown. Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and the coriander seeds and mix well.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool. When this mix cools down, add the remaining turmeric  powder, red chili powder and grind to a fine paste.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a vessel. Add the remaining whole spices. When they become dark add the green chili, heeng and remaining onions.
6. When onions become translucent, add the tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes.
7. Add the ground masala, chole masala. Mix well. Add the marinated chicken and cook on medium flame.
8. Add the chole(cooked). Cover and cook.

Few tips
*If you have the dried chole / garbanzo beans. Then soak them for 2-3 hrs before pressure cooking them.
**  Adjust the level of chole masala in your murgh chole based on how spicy you want your dish to be

Chickpea Curry

Chickpeas Curry Pic: Priya Q

Successful experiment by fluke is how I would describe this recipe. I had soaked chickpea the previous night and my maid didn’t turn up the next day. I was not in a good mood with so much of unexpected work thrown at me. Least to mention the chickpea I had planned for breakfast with some steaming puttu. So instead of usual recipe I decided to go an easy route…and it turned out quite delicious :))

 

Black Chickpeas – 2 cups (soaked overnight)

Chilli powder – 1 tsp + a pinch

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp + a pinch

Coriander powder – 3 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil

Onion – 1 no. (big sized – sliced fine)

Coriander leaves for garnish

 

1. Pressure cook chickpeas with a pinch of turmeric and chilli powder till soft and done
2. Soak the masalas in few drops of water. Masala should be nicely damp
3. In a pan add few tsp of oil and add mustard seeds when hot
4. Once they splutter add the soaked masalas and fry for few seconds
5. Add sliced onions and fry for few minutes
6. Add the cooked chickpeas into the above pan and mix well
7. Season and garnish with fresh coriander

Now wasn’t that simple!!? It tastes simply delicious. Serve it with out of rotis / bread

 

* the onions will be quite crisp and add a different texture to the dish 🙂

Till next time….happy cooking!

 

 

 

Kadala

Kadala Pic Credit: Priya Q

Thanks to my mom, every time I make the Chickpeas using this recipe I get loads of praise and that too from all genders! You try once and you will never stop making it ever….

Black chickpea – 1 cup
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coconut shavings – ½ cup
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Garlic flakes – 2-3 nos
Dry red chilli – 2 nos
Black peppercorn – 3-4 nos
Onion – 1 small (finely chopped)
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Ginger – 1 inch (finely chopped)
Tomato – 1 medium (finely chopped)
Oil – 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves – for garnish (finely chopped)

1. Soak chickpea over night and pressure cook in the morning with turmeric and red chilli powder for upto 4-5 whistles.
2. Fry in 1 tsp oil – coconut shaving, coriander seeds, red chilli, pepper and garlic and set aside to cool. Once at room temperature grind to a smooth paste in a grinder adding little water.
3. Open the cooker and add ginger. Now cook in open (cooker)
4. Add chopped tomatoes and stir.
5. Once tomatoes turn tender add the ground paste. Stir
6. In a separate pan add remaining oil and heat.
7. Tip in onions and curry leaves and sauté till onions turn dark brown.
8. Add the fried onions to the chickpea and let it boil
9. Garnish with coriander leaves
10. Serve with puttu or chappati (Indian bread)

Normally, people don’t add coriander, but I just love the flavor. I am a big fan of fresh coriander so much so the Q teases me by picking up only coriander leaving vegetables when we walk in to a local super market! There was a time even the super market guys specially asked me if I needed coriander!!

Anyways… you do try it and leave me a feedback!

I am off home…hopefully will come back with more recipes from my mom 🙂

Till next time …happy cooking!

contributor of the recipe…Jayalakshmi ….my super mom