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.

Chicken masala

It is a easy and delicious recipe as you just have to mix everything in a bowl and leave it to marinate and then let it cook on its own juice and then follow a few steps more!
It was made using mutton but I have tried it with chicken!

Ingredients:
Bone in chicken-1 kg,
Onion(medium) -6 or1/2 kg-halved and then chopped into quarters or thick slices,
Ginger shredded or paste-1 tbsp,
Garlic paste-1 tbsp,
Coriander pwd-2 tsp,
Cumin pwd-2 tsp,
Red chilli pwd-1 tsp,
Turmeric pwd-1/2 tsp,
Garam masala pwd-1/2 tsp,
Salt to taste,
Cinnamon stick-2,
Cloves-4,
Big cardamom-2,
Small cardamom-4,
Bay leaf-2,
Black peppercorn-10,
Mustard oil-4 tbsp,
Water -1 cup.

Note:I have added whole spices and curd to the marination!

Method:
Wash the chicken and drain out the excess water.
Slice the onion into thick slices.
Take a bowl and put the chicken,1/2 cup curd,salt 1 tsp,2 tsp coriander pwd,2 tsp cumin pwd,1/2 tsp turmeric pwd,1 tsp red chilli pwd,1/2 tsp garam masala pwd,2 cinnamon stick,4 cloves,2 big cardamom and 4 small cardamom,2 bayleaf.

Mix everything and then add the sliced onions.
Mix again.

Cover and let it marinate for  1/2 hour at room temperature.
If making mutton recipe then marinate for 2 hours (it can be kept overnight in the fridge).
Heat kadhai with 4 tbsp of mustard oil.

As oil heats up,lower the heat and add the marinated chicken.

Stir and raise the heat.

As the sides start to boil,put a lid on the kadahi.

Let it cook on high heat for 3 to four minutes.
When you see the steam forming under the lid,then lower the heat and let it cook on simmer for  20 minutes.

Stir once in between.
Since it is chicken the cooking time will be less.
After 20 minutes,the chicken will be 80% done.

Raise the heat to high and let the gravy dry.
Keep tossing the chicken so that it is evenly cooked and fried at the same time.
It will take 10 minutes for the gravy to dry and coat the chicken.

Once it evenly fried and the onions coat the chicken then add 1 cup of warm water.

Let the gravy come to a boiling point.
Adjust salt and the tenderness of the chicken.
Cover and lower the heat and let it cook till tender.

After 5 minutes, oil will start to float on top.Check the tenderness and if the chicken is cooked,then close gas.

 Chicken masala is ready.

Enjoy chicken masala with roti or rice.