I have been giving some serious thought as to what should be my next blog post. It looks like I end up posting all emotional recipes. Yes, recipes with high emotional quotients. I run through a myriad of emotions within myself at the thought of making some of these recipes. It’s amazing how my every foodie experience gets tied to a memory somewhere, significant or insignificant, it does not matter.
Chicken Bharta Recipe
So this time around, I was determined to post a somewhat uninvolved recipe. But it did not happen. And I did not deviate. I did what I do the best. I cook recipes that remind me of home and good times. And I did the same this time too. Today’s recipe is a Classic Kolkata (my hometown) style Chicken Bharta.
Chicken Bharta and Naan (Indian flatbread) would be a rare treat growing up. One, my mom never cooked or even tried to cook it at home. So we ate it only when we ate out. And eating out those days would not be every weekend or just because you didn’t feel like cooking. Eating out would be meticulously planned to a T. Durga Puja (annual festival) or Christmas would be such occasions when the family dined outside and yes, we always ate Indian food.
However, later on when I was in college and knowing this was my absolute favorite, dad would pick it up on his way back from work sometimes. And always from the same place, a medium sized restaurant chain that specialized in Mughlai cuisine (in tradition with the Muslim Mughlai culture). The Bedouin chicken bharta is something that I still hold in high esteem even though the quality today is definitely not the same anymore.
I have tried really hard to come up with a copycat version of the same and it took me several attempts to perfect this recipe. It is easy and honestly something different than the butter chicken or chicken curry we are so used to serving. It is a great recipe if you’re looking to feed a crowd within a budget. Well, I can go on and on. But for now, let’s get to the recipe.
P.S: The last pic of the chicken bharta was from another day.
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Chicken Bharta Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45
- Yield: 4
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Try this Kolkata Style Chicken Bharta Recipe. A lip smacking chicken curry that you’ll be hooked on for a long time to come.
Ingredients
- Cardamom (small) – 1 tsp, crushed
- Cloves – ½ tsp
- Bay Leaf – 1
- Onion paste – 1 1/2 cup
- Ginger paste – 2 tsp
- Garlic paste – 3 tsp
- Tomato puree – 1 cup
- Cumin powder – 2 tsp
- Coriander powder – 2 tsp
- Red chili powder/Paprika – 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1 1/2 tsp
- Chicken – 1 ½ pound, on the bone
- Cashew paste – ½ cup
- Plain Yogurt – ¾ cup
- Butter – ¼ cup
- Kasuri methi – 2 tsp
- Cilantro – 3 tbsp, finely chopped
- Salt – to taste
- Sugar – to taste
- Lemon juice – 1 tsp
- Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
- Rose water – 1 tsp
- Kewra water – 1 tsp
- Boiled egg – 1, sliced in half
- Fresh Cream – 2 tbsp
For Marinating Chicken
- Garlic paste – 2 tsp
- Lemon juice – 2 tsp
- Cumin powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Black pepper – 1 tsp
Instructions
- Take all the ingredients for marinating the chicken in a bowl.
- Mix well with the chicken. Let it rest for 3-4 hours. Make sure to refrigerate it.
- Now pressure cook the chicken (2 whistle for 6-8 mins) with 1 ½ cups of water or cook it on the stove until the meat is cooked and fork tender.
- Let it cool and then shred the chicken. Do not discard the stock.
- In a pan, pour in the vegetable oil.
- Add the cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.
- Throw in the onion paste and stir fry for a good 5-6 mins until the onion is almost browned and fragrant.
- Add the ginger, garlic paste and stir fry for another 2-3 mins. By this time the onion is browned.
- Add the tomato puree and work it in the mixture until it disintegrates.
- In half a cup of water, add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and red chili/paprika powder and mix well.
- Throw in this paste in the pan and add the shredded chicken. Stir and mix everything well.
- Pour in the cashew paste and yogurt. If required you can add a little bit of the stock that you got from cooking the chicken earlier.
- Add salt, sugar to taste and pour in the lemon juice.
- Stir and mix and let it cook over medium flame for 15 mins or until the gravy looks thickened.
- Add the butter, kasuri methi and cilantro leaves. Save some cilantro for garnishing.
- Drizzle in the rose and kewra water and fresh cream from top.
- Garnish with cilantro, boiled egg halves and serve right away.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 148
- Fat: 19
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 19
- Protein: 17
- Cholesterol: 102
Keywords: Chicken Bharta Recipe