Murgir Roast / Bengali Chicken Roast

I bought the chicken legs to make tandoori chicken. But I am a lazy person. Lazier than you can ever imagine...and when the time came for the cooking, I started dreading the idea of lighting up the charcoals for the tandoor. So after a long imaginary dwelling with myself I decided upon this recipe of Bangalir Murgir Roast or Bengali Chicken Roast.

Step by step process:

Make the garlic paste.

Slice the onions.

Make the marinade the by mixing the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, lime juice and salt to the yogurt.

Rub the marinade over the chicken legs.

Heat the ghee and add the garlic paste. Fry until golden.

Place the chicken legs inside the kadai, in a way that each of them touches the surface of the kadai.

Fry the side of the chicken leg which is touching the surface of the kadai for 3-5 minutes and then flip to cook the other side.

Fry the other side of the chicken leg for 3-4 minutes as well or until they become golden brown. Then take them out of the kadai and keep aside.

Add the rest of the ghee to the kadai and add the cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaf.

Add the sliced onions and fry until golden.

Add the remaining ginger - garlic paste.

Stir and cook the onions and ginger and garlic paste until the onions become golden brown.

Add the remaining chicken marinade.

Add the remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir and cook the spices for a minute.

Add the fried chicken pieces.

Add water, salt and cook covered until the chicken is soft and tender from inside.

Once the chicken is cooked completely add the rose water and kewra / screwpine water.

Simmer until all the moisture evaporates and the oil starts to separate.

Murgir Roast / Bengali Chicken Roast

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs

¼ cup of thick yogurt

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

Juice of 1 lime

¼ cup ghee

A handful of fresh coriander leaves

1 and ½ tsp rose water

½ tsp screwpine / kewra water

2 onions – finely sliced

6 + 4 garlic cloves – paste

1 inch ginger – paste

1 medium cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

Salt

Method:

In a bowl mix in 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt with the yogurt. Also mix in the lime juice, ginger paste and garlic paste from the 6 garlic cloves.

Take the chicken legs and make deep slits on them with a sharp knife.

Rub the prepared marinade over the chicken legs, pushing some spices into the deep slits. Let them marinade for 2 hours.

Melt the 2 tbsp of ghee in a kadai and add the cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaf.

Sauté for some seconds or until the ghee becomes aromatic and then add the remaining garlic paste.

Sauté until the garlic becomes golden and then add the marinated chicken legs into the kadai. Shake off the excess marinade from the chicken legs before placing them into the oil.

Place the chicken pieces in such a way that each of them touches the surface of the kadai. Fry them for 3-5 minutes on one side and then flip to cook the other side. Cook the other side for 3-4 minutes as well and then take the pieces out of the kadai and keep in a plate.

Add the remaining ghee to the kadai and add cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaf.

Sauté for half a minute or until the ghee becomes aromatic.

Add the sliced onions and fry until the onions become nicely golden.

Add the rest of the marinade and the rest of the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Cook until the oil separates.

Add the fried chicken pieces and stir them with the prepared masala so that each of them gets a good coating.

Add 1 cup of water and stir to mix.

Cover the kadai and cook until the chicken pieces are soft and tender from the inside.

Simmer until all the moisture evaporates and cook to give them a charred and fried look.

Add the rose water and screwpine / kewra water and simmer for another minute.

Sprinkle some more fried onions and fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with some naan or chapatti.