Ada Peyaj Diye Chicken er Jhol(A Ginger Based Light Chicken Dish)

The use of potato in chicken or mutton curries has been taken to the next level by Bengali cuisine.Any Chicken or Mutton dish prepared fails to satisfy the guest its objective if big slices of potatoes are missing in the curry.Steamed rice and hot light chicken curry along with a couple of big potato slices creates a sense of completion in the meal.These are not elaborate dishes.These are simple to prepare with easily available ingredients and can be created in pretty little time and are meant for a light and tasty meal.

Now consider the following situation.You had a night of binging on Saturday and as usual woke up late on Sunday with bleary red eyes with a strong hangover.First you make a strong cuppa for yourself and help ease the hangover away.Think and reflect some more and while away the moments and then realise there a gnawing hunger in your belly.Thats when you recollect that some chicken is there in the fridge that is waiting to be cooked.The uniqueness of this curry lies in the use of abundant ginger but no garlic. Onion will be used but only a little amount of it.The chicken curry and should be done in an hour flat.Use mustard oil.

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 500 gms.Cut into medium sized pieces.
• Onion - 100 gms(2 medium sized ones).Slice it.
• Ginger - 10-15 gms(1 inch piece). Made into a paste.
• Green chillies - 4.Slit.
• Tomato - 1 medium sized.Deseeded and made into a paste.
• Potato - One Big (100 gm) sized potato.
• Mustard Oil - 4 tbsp
• Salt - As per taste.

Powdered Spices:

• Turmeric Powder - 1.5 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1.5 tsp
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp.

Procedure:

• First coat the potato with 1/2 tsp of tumeric powder and salt to taste and fry them for 2 mins.Remove the potatoes from the pan once done.
• Heat the mustard oil in a wok and wait for it to become hot.
• Adjust the heat to medium and add the ginger paste. Wait until the sweet smell of ginger fills up the kitchen.
• Then add the sliced onions, which will add some amount of moisture..The mixture will sputter for sometime.Let the sputtering subside and wait for the onion slices to turn brownish.
• Once the onion turns brown, add the chicken pieces.
• Turn the heat to high.
• Add the tomato paste and the powdered spices all at the same time.
• Add some amount of salt.
• Stir the mixture for 7-8 mins. The chicken should turn brownish in colour.
• Wait till oil separates from the mixture.This should require another 5-6 minutes.
• Add 100 ml of warm water and stir once again till the point the moisture evaporates completely.This should require another 5-6 minute and will ensure a uniform mix of the ingredients and spices.
• Turn the heat to low and add some warm water(depending upon the amount required in the gravy.Personally when I have chicken with rice I love to leave the curry watery.But with roti it should be thick).Add the fried potato slices and 3-4 slit green chillies at this point
• Check for salt content and add more if required.
• Put a lid on the pan.
• Let it cook for 30 minutes under the lid.Incase even after 30 minutes the chicken is not tender, leave it for somemore time.Check the water levels every 10 mins so that the chicken does not stick to the bottom.

Have a great shower.Wash away the previous nights sins and the hangover and enjoy a hearty lunch.