Chittagong Chicken Curry

Chittagong chicken curry is famous for its fiery taste and dark brown colour. The rustic nature of this curry is what separates this dish from other chicken curries of Bangladesh, where there is no dearth of various kinds of regional chicken preparations.

Step By Step Process:

Dry roast the coriander seeds and dry red chillies on low flame and then ground to a coarse powder.

Heat oil and temper with some coriander seeds and dry red chillies.

Add sliced onions and cook until golden.

Add the onion paste and sprinkle some salt. Cook until the onions become golden brown.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and some of the ground masala and saute for some seconds to cook the spices.

Add the marinated chicken pieces.

Mix them well with the masalas and fry the chicken pieces until they change colour. Put cover and cook until the oil separates.

Add water and cook covered.

Cook until the chicken pieces are almost cooked.

Add the prepared cashew nuts paste and a little of the ground spice.

Cook until the curry thickens and the oil starts to float on top of the curry.

Chittagong Chicken Curry

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken on bone

1 and ½ medium onions – sliced

1 and ½ medium onions – paste

1 tbsp whole coriander seeds

4 dry red chillies

1 tsp coriander seeds for tempering

1 dry red chilli for tempering

1 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tsp red chilli powder

10-12 whole cashew nuts

Salt

¼ cup virgin mustard oil

A few fresh coriander leaves to garnish

8 cloves of garlic – paste

3-4 green chillies – finely chopped

Method:

Ground the cashew nuts with some water until you get a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and keep aside.

In a skillet dry roast the coriander seeds and dry red chillies on low flame for about 1 minute. Transfer them to a mortar and pestle and ground to coarse powder. Keep aside.

Marinate the chicken with 1 tbsp of the ground spice, some salt, oil and garlic paste for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat the oil and temper with the coriander seeds and dry red chilli.

Sauté for about 30 seconds and then add the sliced onions to them.

Sprinkle some salt over them and cook them until lightly golden.

Add the onion paste and cook them until the onions become golden brown.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and 1 tbsp of the ground spice and sauté to mix them.

Add the marinated chicken and mix them well with the onions and masalas.

Cook the chickens until they change their colour from pink to white.

Add the chopped green chillies and put cover. Cook covered until the oil separates.

Sauté them every 2 minutes so that nothing can stick to the bottom of the pan / kadai.

Pour 2 cups of water to them and mix well.

Put cover and cook until the chicken is almost done.

Now add the prepared cashew nuts paste and another 1-2 tsp of the ground masala.

Mix them gently and wait for the curry to thicken.

Simmer until the oil starts to separate from the curry.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Put off the flame and serve hot with some plain hot rice.