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Chicken Rezala
Serves 4
60 mins
550 Kcal
Chicken rezala is one of the richest and creamiest Mughlai dishes, known for the delicate balance of spices. This mildly spiced curry from the Bengal zone of origin is mainly relished with naan, paratha, or steamed rice. Unlike any other spicy curry, chicken rezala brings out a rather subtle flavour, creamy white gravy, and an aromatic blend of yoghurt, cashews, and poppy seeds. The chicken rezala recipe starts with marinating chicken pieces in yoghurt, and ginger-garlic paste, with a pinch of salt so that all the flavours seep into the meat. Meanwhile, a basic paste is prepared by soaking cashews and poppy seeds followed by almonds for some depth to flavour while tempering whole spices like cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon to give it its typical aroma. For this recipe for Chicken Rezala, prepare ghee in a pan and fry the whole spices until fragrant. Add the marinated chicken and cook until it is tender. Add the ground nut-seed paste blended with yoghurt, which gives the gravy its telltale creaminess. A little sugar and salt are added to balance the acidity of the yoghurt to make the flavours well-blended and harmonious. It is slow-cooked so that the spice remains well mixed and blends in very rich, creamy gravy that is subtly sweet with a mild heat. Chicken rezala is frequently garnished with fried onions and served hot.
Ingredients required for Chicken Rezala
- 1 kg chicken
- 30 gms onion
- 10 gms ginger
- 4 cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 cinnamon
- 4 bay leaves
- 20 peppercorns
- 14 gms salt
- 3 gms coriander powder
- 10 gms poppy seeds
- 5 gms cashew nuts
- 10 gms khopra
- 5 gms garlic
- 10 gms ginger
- 45 gms cooking oil
- 80 gms ghee
- 4 red chillies
- 10 makhana
- 50 gms milk
- 1/2tsp cornflour
- 150 gms curd
- Mace
Cooking steps for Chicken Rezala
- 1Calcutta Chicken Rezala is the most aromatic and quite rich which stands as an important representative of the culinary culture of Kolkata.
- 2This dish finds its way into many homes and restaurants because of the unique flavours of spices and a creamy texture.
- 3A mouthful of a feast to relish and to celebrate flavour, it is one of the greatest experiences in a lifetime.
- 4It starts with the choice of chicken-preferably 1 kg, which should be cut into pieces that can be cooked suitably.
- 5The chicken itself is the star of the dish, with choices that range from a broiler to free-range birds.
- 6To begin making the dish, a mise en place must be prepared.
- 7Begin by finely chopping 30 gms of onion and slicing 10 gms of ginger.
- 8Then collect your spices, including 4 pods of cardamom, 4 cloves, 2 sticks of cinnamon, 4 bay leaves, and 20 peppercorns.
- 9These are the flavours that will support the aromatic base of the rezala.
- 10Now, in another bowl, you can mix the following - 3 gms of coriander powder, a gram of lightly toasted mace, and 2 gms of lightly toasted white peppercorns.
- 11You would also make ready 10 gms of lightly toasted poppy seeds, 5 gms of toasted cashew nuts, and 10 gms of peeled lightly toasted khopra, or that dried coconut.
- 12Finally, leave 5 gms of garlic, 10 gms of ginger, and 100 gms of white onion for further cooking. Now it's time to mix the chicken and spices.
- 13Heat 45 gms of vegetable oil and 80 gms of ghee in a large pot.
- 14Adding ghee brings to the dish a rich flavour as well as a luxurious texture, and using vegetable oil helps to fry spices.
- 15Once the ghee and oil are hot, add the dried red chillies, then 10 makhana or fox nuts to add their nutty fragrance to the oil.
- 16Add 2 cardamom pods, 1 mace, and 10 black peppercorns, mixing them well to release all their flavours.
- 17After a minute, add chopped onions, garlic, and ginger, saut ing them until they become light golden brown.
- 18This is the most crucial step because it will dictate the taste of the dish.
- 19In this step, the already browned onions will be added to the prepared chicken pieces, 14 gms of salt, and 600 ml of water.
- 20It should be stirred thoroughly so that the chicken and the spice blend well.
- 21The amount of time for cooking depends upon the size of the chicken pieces. Cook until the meat is tender and cooked nice and thoroughly; it should absorb all the aromatic flavours.
- 22Now it's the turn to add the embellishments.
- 23In a bowl, mix up 150 gms of yoghurt, 3 gms of salt, and 12 gms of sugar, and pour this mix gently into the pot and stir it smoothly with the mixture.
- 24The addition of yoghurt helps introduce creaminess and slight tanginess.
- 25If it becomes too thick, you can thin it out to the right consistency by adding 50 ml of warm milk.
- 26For a subtle but perfect touch, sprinkle 10 gms of finely chopped green chillies into it.
- 27Half a teaspoon of kewra water for its floral after-taste.
- 28And as a final thought, a dash of meetha attar completes the aroma.
- 29This unique composition beautifies the dish and infuses it with the essence of Kolkata.
- 30The dis is ready. To serve your Chicken Rezala garnish with rose petals, which will surely do justice to the presentation.
- 31This dish is vibrantly colourful and has aromatic spices, which make it more than a meal-it's an experience to have it.
- 32Enjoy the full richness of this exquisite dish with naan or steamed rice.