Handi Chicken

Television for me is predominantly any lifestyle channel or any show on food. I just love watching cookery shows, which means, it really doesn't matter which channel it is, which language it is, which cuisine it is (the only exception probably being the yucky bizzare food shows) and actually what time of the day it is!!!!! My husband often finds me watching cookery shows in languages which are well beyond my comprehension on most occasions. But that is the beauty of food...it binds people beyond region, religion or culture. 

Well today's recipe is from one such encounter. I was watching a regional cookery show one day. Being born and brought up in a beautiful place called Goa, India, my mother tongue is konkani. And for those who do know konkani, if you have a bit of inclination towards learning languages then understanding Marathi (local language of people who live in Maharashtra,India)  is no challenge at all!!! There is this television channel called Zee TV Marathi and they have this daily cookery show called "Aami Saare Khavaye". I rarely get a chance to catch up with it, as it is telecast in the afternoon. I have a pen and a diary in my drawing room...just incase i want to pen down anything, its readily available....but its not always that I note down the recipes.... the joy of a food show is in watching (which is a such a stress buster) rather than in noting down the recipe!! At times, I get so engrossed just watching that later I wonder as to why I didn't note the exact recipe...I try to wreck my brain to recreate the dish..this at times leads to creation some different but interesting dishes!! This one, however, is more or less the accurate recipe!!

Okay, i had seen this recipe on one of the episodes of Aami Saare Khavaye and had also penned the recipe...but the recipe was just lying there for over a year... as I was going through my diary I was reminded how delicious this preparation looked..and decided to try it...it turned out to be better than what I had imagined it to be. I shared the recipe with my cousin and what I received was immense appreciation. This recipe has found a special place in her life. She says it's a time and energy saver, it comes very handy when the pantry is crying for groceries and she has not much time at hand (time is a real luxury for her ..she has a 10 month old daughter). The ingredients of this recipe are very basic and this recipe takes very little effort in the preparation and cooking. It's actually chicken in a jiffy!!! Try it for yourself.

This handi chicken preparation is actually the Nagpur (a place in Maharashtra) version of the Handi Chicken. As a preparation you need to roast the chana dal, rice and onion along with cardamom and cinnamon and then ground it to a paste. The chana dal and rice gives thickness to the gravy. Saute some ginger garlic and green chilli paste and then add the roasted paste and add few dry spices, just saute the chicken, add water and cook the chicken covered till done!!!

Recipe for the Handi Chicken

Adapted from: A participant on the marathi TV show Aami Saaree Khavaye

Ingredients

1/2 kg chicken

1tbsp coriander powder

2 tsp jeera powder(cumin powder)

1 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)

1tbsp kashmiri mirch powder

3 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 green chilli- paste

1 tbsp coriander

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

For the Masala

1 tbsp rice

1 tbsp chana dal

1 tsp dried coconut-grated

1 medium sized onion-sliced

2 sticks of dalchini (cinnamon)

1 black cardamom

1 tsp oil

Garnishing

1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

Method:

For the Masala

• Heat a pan on a medium flame. Add oil. add chana dal , stir occasionally till the dal changes colour, add rice.
• Once the rice changes colour to light brown, add dry coconut and stir. Add the onion and wait till it tuns light brown in colour. Add dalchini and black cardamom. Stir for 3 minutes and switch off the flame.
• Cool the mixture and then run it in a mixie to get a fine paste.

For the Chicken

• Heat a vessel (preferably a Handi (earthenware)), add oil. Once the oil is heated add the ginger garlic paste and the green chilli paste and stir. once the aromas are released add the ground wet masala, stir well.
• To the above, add dry masalas viz; jeera powder, coriander powder, haldi, kashmiri mirch powder and stir well.
• Add chicken and stir fry on medium high flame for 3-5 mins.
• Add 3 cups of water and salt to taste. Add coriander and stir.
• Cover the vessel and let the chicken simmer for 30 mins.
• after 30 mins stir the chicken, check for seasoning.
• serve the chicken and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

Tips

• This chicken tastes best when made in earthenware esp on chulha. However, it can also be made in an earthenware on gas burner. Normal metal vessel will also do.
• the quatity of green chillies can be varied. the green chillies available here in Delhi are very hot, so one green chilly is enough. However, in-case you are using green chillies which are not too hot the number can be increased to 3-5, depending on your taste.
• the green chilli paste can be made along with the ginger garlic paste for this recipe.
• the lovely red colour is due to kashmiri mirch powder, ensure that the kashmiri mirch you add has a lovely deep red colour.
• this recipe can be prepared with even 1/2 tsp of oil, I've tried it and it taste equally good!!!
• You can reduce the quantity of dry spices.
• The consistency of the gravy can be altered according to your taste. It can also be converted into a thick gravy, just reduce the water to 2 cups (or even less if desired).
• I've never tried it, but vegetarians can add veggies of your choice to the gravy. I feel it should taste good.
• This gravy is excellent with any preparation of roti as well as rice.

Who should try

• Anyone who loves chicken go ahead and try it out!! Its also quick so if in hurry and short of groceries...go ahead...!!!!!!!!!!! Diet conscious....reduce oil to 1/2 tsp and try it, it tastes fantastic!!!!!!!!!!