Murgh Chole / Chicken Curry with Chickpeas

I often swap chickpeas for the yellow peas in preparing ghughni. It mostly happens when I run out of the yellow peas, and trust me Africa is least interested in anything Indian and so I don’t get them here. Owing to this ghughni culture chickpeas and chicken is not a weird combination for me and other Bengalis as well. For others...this is more like the mutton or chicken curry which you cook with lentils. That’s it.

But for Murgh Chole you have to cook the chickpeas just right. Because if they are overcooked, they will look mushy and the crunchiness of the chickpeas is the whole point of this recipe, this chicken and chickpeas curry. You can add potatoes if want, it’s not necessary you see. But I am a Bengali and just like any other Bengali I like to put this wonder veggi in almost anything and everything I come across. So if you are worried about your carb intake or calories, just keep this aside, it will make no harm to your murgh chole.

• Heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves. Saute the whole spices for half a minute or until the ghee becomes aromatic.

• Add the chopped onions and saute until the onions become translucent.

• Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw garlic flavour is muted a little.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become mushy and the oil starts to seperate.

• Add salt and the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir and cook the spices for a minute or so.

• Add the chicken pieces. Sprinkle some salt and sear them a little.

• Add the whisked yogurt.

• Add water and cook until the chicken pieces are half cooked.

• Add the cooked chickpeas to the preparing curry.

• Add the potatoes (if you are adding them).

• Cook until the chicken and the potatoes are fork tender and the curry reaches your desired consistency. The consistency of this curry should be a little thin. Finsih off with chopped coriander leaves, a squeeze of lime juice and garam masala powder.

Murgh Chole / Chicken with Chickpeas Curry

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken on bone

1 and ¼ cup of chickpeas

2 onions – chopped

2 ripe tomatoes – chopped

6-7 fat cloves of garlic – paste

1 and ½ inch ginger – paste

½ cup of thick yogurt

1 and ½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – chopped

¼ cup of ghee / oil

1 large cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

Salt

Method:

Wash ad soak the chickpeas in water overnight.

The next day drain the water and put the chickpeas inside a pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the chickpeas. Add turmeric powder and some whole spices, i.e. cinnamon stick, green cardamoms and cloves.

Cook them until the cooker blows 3-4 whistles and then switch off the flame.

Let the pressure settle down naturally.

Open the lid and drain the water. Collect the cooked chickpeas in a colander and keep aside.

Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, green cardamoms and cloves.

Sauté until the oil becomes aromatic and then add the chopped onions.

Sprinkle some salt and cook until they become translucent.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 more minutes allowing the raw garlic to cook.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they disintegrate and the start to release oil.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Sauté and cook for a minute.

Add the chicken pieces and stir to mix them with the curry.

Add some salt to season the chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes more or until the chicken pieces are nicely seared.

Lower the flame and add the yogurt.

Mix it with the chicken and curry and cover the pot to let the chicken cook.

Add water if all the moisture evaporates and the chicken tends to dry.

Cook covered until the chicken is almost tender.

At this stage add the cooked chickpeas.

Stir to mix and cook until the chicken is fork tender.

Open the lid and simmer until you have your desired consistency of the gravy.

Finally add the garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves.

Stir to mix.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Switch off the flame and serve hot with naan or chapatti or rice.