Dak bunglow chicken

This is a Bengali dish made by the chefs during the colonial times using potatoes and boiled eggs
in a chicken or mutton curry.
 
I have adjusted the ingredients according to our taste.

Ingredients:
Chicken -1 kg-cut into 16 pieces,
 Boiled egg-2,
Boiled potatoes-3 or 4,
Onions-4 or 5 sliced and 1 chopped and  grinded-(you can use less)
Yogurt -1 cup-beaten- 200 gms in weight,
Ginger paste-1 tbsp,
Garlic paste-1 tbsp,
Coriander powder-2 tbsp,
Turmeric pwd-1 tsp,
Degi red chilli pwd-1 tsp-use according to your taste,
Whole spices-
Bay leaf-2,
Clove-5,
Cinnamon stick-2,
 Big cardamom-2,
Small cardamom-5,
Peeper corn-1 tsp or 10,
Mace or javitri pwd-a pinch,
Nutmeg powder-a pinch,
Garam masala pwd- 1/4 tsp,
Salt to taste,
Mustard oil-6 tbsp,
Water -2 and 1/4 cup.

Method-
 
Wash the chicken and put on a strainer to drain out the excess water.
Take a bowl and put the chicken in it.
Chop 1 onion and grind it coarsely in a grinder for a few second.

Take out 2 tbsp of yogurt from 1 cup of yogurt and leave it aside in a bowl.
Beat the rest of the yogurt and pour over the chicken.

Add  the paste of one onion,2 tbsp of coriander pwd,1 tsp of turmeric pwd, 1 tsp of red chilli pwd, 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of mustard oil.

Mix and let it marinate for 1/2 hour or more.
Boil the eggs and potatoes. 

Once the potatoes and eggs are boiled,peel and cut the potatoes into quarters.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp of turmeric on the quartered potatoes.

Slice the four onions and divide into half.

(Two onions will be fried and ground with 2 tbsp of yogurt to form a coarse paste and kept aside in a bowl to be used in the latter part of cooking.
The other 2 sliced onions will be fried during the initial cooking)

Heat 4 tbsp of mustard oil in a nonstick kadhai or deep pan.

Once the oil is hot and fumes start to come out,lower the heat and add  2 sliced onions.

Raise the heat to medium high and fry the onions till they are caramelized or brown.

 Place the fried onion to one side of the kadhai and then tilt the kadhai to one side for the excess oil to come out to the opposite side.

Remove the fried onions to a bowl.

Once the onions are slightly cool,grind it in a grinder with 2 tbsp of yogurt to get a coarse paste(few second).

Keep aside in a bowl.

In the remaining oil fry the boiled potatoes in medium high heat to a get light crust on the potatoes.

Remove the potatoes in a bowl.
Stir fry the boiled egg for a few second.

Remove and place them with the potatoes.

Cooking the chicken:
Add 1 tbsp of ghee in the remaining oil in the hot  kadhai.

Add the whole spices and let it change colour.

As the spices change colour,add the rest of the chopped onions(2 sliced onions).

Stir fry the onions to brown in medium high heat.

Once the onions are fried,lower the heat and add the marinated chicken.

Raise the heat to high and stir fry the chicken till oil leaves side and you get a few brown spots on 
the chicken.

Lower the heat and add the fried ground onions and 1/4 cup of water.(clean the bowl with 1/4 of water in which the chicken was marinated)

Raise the heat to medium high and fry for another few minutes for onions paste to evenly coat the chicken.

Add 2 cups of warm water and let it come to boil.

Adjust salt.

As the gravy starts to boil,lower the heat and put a lid on.

 Let the chicken cook for 20 minutes or till they are nearly done.

Once the chicken is tender,add the potatoes,a pinch of mace pwd,a pinch of nutmeg pwd and 1/4 tsp of garam masala pwd.

Mix and cover.

Let it simmer for another 10 minutes in low heat.
Close gas and place the boiled eggs in the gravy.

Let it stay for another 10 minutes in the kadhai.

Slice the egg into half while serving the Dak bunglow chicken in a dish.

This chicken has a thick gravy.
Enjoy with rice,roti or paratha.

Atta badam biscuits

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour-1 and 1/4 cup,
All purpose flour-1/4 cup,
Butter 100 gms-cold and cubed,
Milk powder-2 tbsp- (optional)
Icing sugar-1/3 cup,
Baking pwd-1 tsp,
Milk-1/4 cup,
Almonds - a handful.

Method:
Line tray with butter paper.
Take a bowl and put 1 and 1/4 cup of flour in it.

Sieve 1/4 cup of flour in it.

Mix and then add the butter.

Mix the butter with flour using your fingers into a coarse crumb and it holds together.

Add milk powder and sieved icing sugar to remove any lumps.

Gradually add milk and make a hard dough ball.

The dough has to be hard and not soft.

Cover and leave it for 10 minutes.
Pre heat oven to 180 C.
Chop the almonds on a cutting board into small pieces.
After ten minutes,knead the dough again.

Sprinkle some flour on the counter.

Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness.

Dip the cutter in the flour  to avoid the cutout biscuits from sticking to it.  

Place the cutout biscuits in the tray leaving some distance in between.
Prick the biscuits with a fork or toothpick.

Place the chopped almonds in the center of  each biscuit.

Press lightly for them to stick together.
(You can first brush the biscuits with butter or milk for the almonds to stick to the biscuits)
Bake the biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are brown and the top has a light brown colour.

Take out from oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

Remove the tray and place the biscuits on wire rack to cool completely.

Keep in airtight containers.

Makes 25 biscuits.