Bengali Chicken Curry

Bengali Chicken Curry

When the times.co.uk was available free, I used to eagerly wait for the sunday Edition of the epaper - especially for Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear column which proved to an extremely educating material.But unfortunately, its been quite sometime that The Times online has refused to be free and spending 3 pound sterlings a week, sitting in India, for only one column of a newpaper sounded too audaciously expensive to me.Yet still I wait for the Sunday evening now, even though it gets depressing enough because of the Monday morning blues, because I get my MeTime- which I consider very important for every individual.I somehow like to think through about how the week has been, plan the week ahead, and reflect some more.I simply love the relaxing time, when I have absolutely nothing to do,but to muse over beer, watch the tele,sit back and think at times et al.  - because those 4-5 hours before going off to sleep are the most rejuvinating hours of the week. I dont have any one to disturb my state of mind, no phone calls to be taken - its absolute peace so to speak.
And now, with the Pujas ever so nearer as I write,this week was quite another hectic one.Office work, was getting on the nerves and so was Pujo shopping activities.And this Sunday the MeTime was thoroughly required,so much so, that I wrote this particular recipe down - because I enjoyed cooking it sometime back and same for writing it too.

Its the regular Bengali Chicken Curry, cooked in mustard oil and garam masalas have a great recipe for your Sunday lunches.

Preparation Time: 20 mins.
Cooking Time: 60 mins.

Serves:2

Ingredients:

• Chicken: 600 gms.Pieces should be on the bone.
• Onion: 200 gms.Cut longitudinally.
• Ginger: One 1.5 inch piece.Crushed.
• Garlic: 6-8 cloves.Crushed.
• Tomato: 1 medium sized(50 gms) made into a fine paste
• Potato: 1 large(100 gms).Cut into 2 pieces.
• Slit Green Chillies:4-5
• Coriander Leaves: 3-4 tb sp
• Mustard Oil - 6 tbsp
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Salt: To taste

Powdered Spices:

• Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1.5 tsp

Whole Spices:

• Green Cardamon - 3-4
• Cinnamon Stick - One 2 inch piece.

Procedure:

• Heat the mustard oil in a wok/kadai.
• Coat the potato slices in turmeric powder and salt and lightly fry them in the hot mustard oil. Keep aside once done.
• Reduce the flame to low, once the oil gets hot enough.
• Add the whole spices in the oil. Let the spices sputter and crackle for sometime.Then add the crushed ginger and garlic.
• Wait for the the garlic-ginger to release their aroma.
• Then add the onion slices and sprinkle the whole amount of sugar.
• Stir for 8-10 mins or until the onion pieces acquire a browinish colour. 
• Add the chicken pieces and tomato paste at this point.Then follow it up with the powdered spices.
• Increase the heat to medium and stir the chicken for 20-25 mins until the chicken acquires a light brownish colour from the initial pink.Add very low quantities(30-40 ml) of water incase the chicken tends to stick to the bottom of the pan during this process.
• Sprinkle some salt in the mixture now and stir for a further 5 mins.
• Then add the slit green chillies,coriander leaves and fried potato slices.Add water according to the amount of soup required in the curry and put a lid on the kadai.Check for the level of salt for one final time and add more if more is required.
• Reduce the heat to low. Let the chicken cook for 20-30 mins, depending upon how tender you want the chicken to be.Always check for the level of water and ensure that the water doesnot dry up.

Serve with steamed rice.