Kale Til Diye Murgi Manxo
Just a few simple ingredients transform this chicken dish into something special. Lightly spiced, this is a perfect chicken to cook when you wish to present something unusual. Or you want to have something that is mild and not spicy. There are many regional cuisines in India which are light on spices, and this is one of those, coming from the Assam region. One of the bankers attending my training program, was an Assamese, she had elaborately described this delicious chicken recipe. The fragrance of fresh green chillies added at the end, along with the nutty, creamy taste of the black sesame delivers a lovely sauce. I use this as my basic recipe, but now and then I play around by adding layers of flavours using slight variations of ingredients.Like freeze-drid green pepper crushed with roasted sesame at the end. Or I use Piper longum/ long black pepper, also called Pipali which gives a lemony peppery note. Try to use Mustard or Rapeseed oil, as the north-east of India uses this oil, giving the dish a distinctive taste. Black sesame with be available in many Asian stores. Also, we often use chicken on the bone for a deep flavour. This chicken dish is great with rice, a roti or with soft bread, or would you like to try it on pasta like I do sometimes?
| 2 tbsp mustard or rapeseed oil (this oil contributes to the flavour) | |
| 4-5 (as per your taste) green chillies- slit in halves | |
| 1 1/2 large onion (1 cup) cut in small dice, as fine as you can | |
| Paste of: 3 large cloves garlic & 20g/ 3 cm piece ginger | |
| 350g chicken thighs/ or drumettes (for quick cooking) | |
| Sea salt to taste & 1 tsp sugar | |
| ¼ tsp turmeric | |
| ½ tsp each freshly ground black pepper & cumin powder | |
| ¼ cup + 1 tbsp black sesame soaked in ¼ cup warm water for 2 hours, then blended/ ground to a smooth paste. | |
| 1 tbsp black sesame and 6-8 peppercorns, roasted in a pan individually, and pounded with a pestle & mortar to a powder |
Kale Til Diye Murgi Manxo Just a few simple ingredients transform this chicken dish into something special. Lightly spiced, this is a perfect chicken to cook when you wish to present something unusual. Or you want to have something that is mild and not spicy. There are many regional cuisines in India which are light...
| 1. | Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan/ Karahi or wok. |
| 2. | When the oil is hot, add 2 of the slit chillies and fry a few seconds to flavour the oil. |
| 3. | Add the diced onion & stir-fry on medium heat till it just turns colour and is yet transparent. Add the sugar & salt as you stir fry.r |
| 4. | Add the garlic+ ginger paste, the chicken. Stir fry till the garlic loses its raw smell. |
| 5. | Add turmeric, black pepper & cumin powder. On low heat continue to stir fry till the chicken releases its juices. |
| 6. | At this point, add the black sesame paste. Rinse the blender/ mortar & pestle with ¼ cup water & add it to the chicken. |
| 7. | Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 mins, or till chicken is cooked. Taste & check the salt. If using drumettes it might take a shorter time to cook. Check for moisture in between, if needed, add a bit of water to avoid the gravy catching at the base. |
| 8. | When the chicken is cooked, add the rest of the green chillies & the sesame black pepper powder. Mix through. |
| 9. | Cover & simmer for barely 2-3 minutes. Take pan off heat, and keep covered for 15 more minutes, to lock in the aroma of the chilli & pepper added at the end. |
| 10. | Serve warm with rice or roti/ flatbreads. |