Chooza Masala - Slow Cooked Tender Chicken Curry

The Chicken Chaap which I had cooked earlier.

Being very particular about the cut of meat which I use in my recipes, I was suggesting the chicken shop owner in our bazaar the other day to provide me chicken thigh pieces without the bony upper portion. The intent was to make Chicken Chaap - a bengali delicacy very common in Calcutta - for some guests coming over for lunch for next day. In all these years of trying one recipe after another I have discovered that marinating meat 24 hrs in advance gives the best results. So, there I was in the bazaar when the shop 

Chooza Masala

owner suggested me pieces from Chooza Chicken.

For people who are unaware of the term, Chooza means, baby chicken.The tender meat, he said will provide great results and should suffice my needs. So, I bought 8 breast and leg pieces, made a few incisions in the pieces and brought it home. 

Task #1: Clean the pieces so that no traces of blood, fats are present.
Task #2: Dry the chicken so that no water is present.



With the cleaning part being over, I was still wondering whether I should still make Chicken Chaanp. True, these pieces will make a good chaap, but I was dwelling on something else. Why not make Chooza masala. A chicken curry made with tender young chicken meat under slow fire.This sure going to be one rich and creamy dish. So, if you are health conscious; look the other way!











Preparation: 40 mins. Day One
Precooked Paste:

• 1 medium sized onion. Deseeded and converted into a pulp
• 1 medium sized tomato.Deseeded and converted into a pulp
• 2 cloves garlic.Crushed.
• 1 pinch of kasuri methi. Smoked and powdered.
• 1 pinch of kashmiri mirch powder
• Salt to taste.

In 1 tsp mustard oil fry the above pastes until they become thick, uniform and attains a light brown colour.
When the rawness of the mixture goes away.and add the kasuri methi and kashmiri mirch.Braise it, until the mixture has attained maturity.

Preparing the marinade:

• Chicken 1.5 kgs. Large pieces with incisions being made in them
• Mustard Oil: 4 tsps
• 2 medium sized onions(100 gms) paste
• 6-8 cloves of garlic.Crushed
• 1 inch ginger.Crushed
• Garam masala powder - 1.5 tsps.
• Meat masala powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Kashmiri Mirch powder - 1.5 tsp
• The PreCooked Paste as mentioned above.
• Salt to taste.

Mix all the above ingredients so that the spices penetrate deep into the chicken.Store the entire marinade in the Chiller of your refrigeratory for more than 24 hrs.

The Cooking. Day 2.
This is the day when your guests arrive and you need to serve this stuff hot. So, the cooking will be done today.Take out the marinade from the refrigerator a couple of hours before you plan to cook,so that the chicken can attain room temperature.

Ingredients:

• Mustard Oil: 6-8 tsps
• Bay leaf - 2
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Dry red chilli - 3 nos.
• Garam Masalas - 
• Green Cardamon - 4 pcs
• Black Cardamin - 2 pcs
• Cloves - 4-5
• Cinnamon Stick - One 1.5 inch piece
• Black Pepper - 8-10 
• White Pepper(Sa-marich) - 4-5
• Onion - 3 medium pieces. Thinly sliced,lontitudinally.
• Curd - 100 gms. Whisked.
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Warm water - 500 ml.
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Heat the oil in a pan/wok 
• Turn the oven heat to medium
• Add: Bay leaf,Cumin Seeds,Dry red chilli,Garam Masalas. Wait till the spices start to crackle.
• At which point, add the onion and sugar
• Wait till the onions start to turn golden brown.
• Add the chicken along with the entire marinade along with salt
• Turn the heat to high.
• Road and braise the chicken till oil starts separating from the mixture.This is an indication that the spices have released the aroma and taste in the mixture.
• Now starts the slow cooking part.
• Turn the oven to the lowest heat. Add 100 ml of warm water. Stir the chicken pieces. Put a lid on wok.Let the chicken cook for 10-12 mins.The water level should almost dry up.
• Add some more warm water to the chicken at this point. And repeat the process for 3-4 times.
• The slow cooking ensures a uniform and rich taste in the chicken.
• Once the slow cooking part is done, add the whisked curd, ghee,garam masala and mix it up thoroughly.
• A thick,dense,oily gravy, brownish in colour should indicate that the chicken is done.

This type of chicken goes preferably with Roti/Paranthas.