Chicken Rezala | Benagli Style Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 500 grams bone-in chicken (cut into large pieces approx 2-inch)
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons curds (whisked, sub with plain greek yoghurt)
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (divided)
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
• 1 tablespoon broken cashew nuts or 3 whole cashew nuts
• 1 tablespoon dry coconut or khopra (peeled and chopped (optional))
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 dry red chillies (whole)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 4 cloves (whole)
• 2 green cardamoms (whole)
• 1 blade of mace
• 1/3 cup onion paste (see Note 1)
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger garlic Paste
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cornflour
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 cup milk (30 ml)
• 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
• 1/8 teaspoon homemade garam masala (use 1/4 teaspoon if using store bought)
• 3 green chillies (slit lengthwise)
• 2-3 drops kewra water (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate Chicken - Mix chicken, ¼ teaspoon salt, white pepper powder and 2 tablespoons of curds in a bowl and marinate for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Making Poppy-Cashew-Kopra Paste - Soak poppy seeds, cashew nuts and kopra in ¼ cup of warm water for 30 minutes. Transfer the soaked ingredients to a blender along with the water they were soaked in and blend to make a smooth paste.

3. 3

   Roast Chicken - Heat ½ tablespoon ghee in a kadhai over medium heat. Add chicken pieces to the pan making sure that they don't overlap and gently fry them on both sides for 2-3 minutes. Do not brown the chicken or this will change the colour of the gravy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4. 4

   --- Making of Gravy ---

5. 5

   Saute Spices - Heat the same kadhai with the remaining 1 & ½ tablespoons ghee & 1 tablespoon oil.

6. 6

   Add whole red chillies to the kadhai and fry for a minute or so making sure they don’t burn. Once fried, remove the chillies and set aside for later.

7. 7

   To the kadhai, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & mace and fry till fragrant.

8. 8

   Saute Aromatics - Add onion paste and cook on low heat for 7-8 mins till you see oil separating from the sides. Paste will turn a pale pink. Keep stirring while cooking and do not allow the onion paste to become brown.

9. 9

   Add ginger-garlic paste and coriander powder and fry for about 3 minutes. Add a splash of water to prevent it from burning. Add poppy-cashew-kopra paste and fry for another 3 mins.

10. 10

    Mix cornflour with 1 teaspoon of water to make a slurry. Add this slurry to curds & beat thoroughly until lump free. Add it to the kadhai, and whisk constantly so that curds do not split. Cook on low flame while stirring till curds are cooked and you see oil float to the top.

11. 11

    Add roasted chicken, milk, water, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and sugar. Cook covered on low heat for 18-20 mins till the chicken is tender.

12. 12

    Add fried red chillies, slit green chillies, cook for another minute. Turn off the heat, add Kewra water drops, mix and it's done.