Chicken Bhorta / Chicken Bharta

Chicken Bhorta / Bharta has remained my favourite for a long time. Be it the dhabas alongside the highways or small eateries or restaurants...this rustic yet flavourful and creamy chicken bharta has its own speciality.

And since everything that is used to make a good chicken bharta is just within my reach, do you think it really matters whether it’s Sunday or a holiday to indulge into a creamy exotic food?? Nope!!!!

Heat oil / ghee and temper it with whole spices.

Add onions and saute until lightly brown.

Add ginger - garlic paste and cook the onions till golden brown.

Now add tomatoes.

Cook the tomatoes until mushy.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder and cook until the oil starts to separate.

Add little water and simmer on medium flame to create a smooth gravy.

Now add chicken and yogurt. Cook the chicken until done.

Add heavy cream and cashew nuts paste.

Add kasuri methi leaves and simmer until the curry thickens and the oil starts to float on top of it. Finish off with garam masala powder, mace powder and nutmeg powder.

So this time...let go of your call to the restaurant and try your hand on this very special, restaurant style Chicken Bharta right in your home!!

Chicken Bhorta / Chicken BHarta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

½ kg julienned / small cubed chicken

1 and ½ medium onions – chopped

1 medium tomato – chopped

A handfulof fresh coriander leaves - chopped 

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 tsp ginger paste

 ¼ th cup thick yogurt

 2 tbsp heavy cream

1 tbsp cashew paste

1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi

2 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

1 and ½ tsp cumin powder

1 and ½ tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

A little mace and nutmeg powder

1 medium cinnamon stick

3 cloves

3 green cardamoms

1 -2 bay leaves 

Salt

½ cup oil / ghee / butter

Method:

In a kadai heat the oil / ghee / butter and temper it with cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves.

Sauté for half a second and add the chopped onions to them.

Sprinkle some salt over them and cook till the onions are lightly brown.

Now add the ginger – garlic paste to the onions and cook the onions till golden brown.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are all cooked and started to ooze out oil.

At this point add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Mix and cook for 2 minutes to ward off the raw smell of spices and then add the chicken pieces.

Pour in the whisked yogurt, sprinkle some salt and cook the julienned chicken.

If the moisture from the yogurt and chicken evaporates before the chicken is completely cooked, leaving the curry dry and prone to burning, add water to them and put cover. Stir in between and let the chicken cook completely.

Once the chicken is cooked, let all the water evaporate.

Now add in the kasuri methi powder, heavy cream and cashew nuts paste.

Mix them together to incorporate everything and simmer on medium heat until the curry thickens and the oil starts to float on top of it.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Finally sprinkle the garam masala powder, mace and nutmeg powder and put off the flame.

Serve hot with some fresh coriander leaves and cream on top of it, paired with roti / chapatti / naan.