Rezala Chicken

Last weekend we had called some friends over for dinner and we wanted to try out some chicken dish with a mild gravy (so that the kids could have it easily). Then we came across this recipe in Outlook traveler of a Bhopali chicken dish called REZALA CHICKEN. Seemed do-able so we made it. It turned out very nice. Here it goes

REZALA CHICKEN

Oil - 8 tablespoons

Chicken (cut in pieces) – 1 kg

Onions (ground into a paste) - 4 tablespoons

Haldi (turmeric) – ½ teaspoon

Curd – 6 tablespoons (well beaten)

Coriander leaves – 13 tablespoons (chopped fine)

Birista paste (equal portions of poppy seeds and crisp fried onions) – 3 tablespoons

Water – 2 cups

For garnish –

Boiled egg – ½

Lime – ½

Whole green chillies – 3-4

Heat 2 tbsp of oil, and fry a kilo of chicken pieces till golden brown. Set aside.

Heat 6 tbsp of oil and fry 4 tbsp of ground onions with half a tsp of haldi for a minute. Add two tsp of garlic paste and ginger paste. Fry, stirring well, for 5-7 min till nicely browned. Add 6 tbsp of beaten curd. Stir continuously to blend the curd in with the gravy. Add 13 heaped tbsp of chopped coriander leaves, stir into the gravy and immediately add three big ladlefuls of poppy seed and birista paste (made of equal portions of poppy seeds and crisp fried onions ground in water). Stir till gravy tightens and a heavenly aroma arises.

Add the fried chicken pieces to the gravy. Coat them well and pat them down in the pan. Pour two cups of water and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 min, add salt and cook till the chicken is done (about 15 min). Garnish with a half boiled egg, a halved nimboo (lime) and whole green chillies. Serve hot with crisp rotis.