Life Without Alu?: Chicken Kosha (Bengali Style Hot Chicken Gravy)

The best part of catching cold, and yes there is a best part - eat as much hot food as you want. The worst part is, not being able to taste anything! Well at least for the first few days.

Our whole family got Covid. Once we recovered, we found that we weren't able to smell or taste anything. Eating/ cooking anything was so disappointing! If you can’t smell what you are cooking, how are you going to know if it’s turning out ok?

It was funny though. We tried eating different types of food to experience the different textures. Popcorn, chips and pretzels were all crunchy. We tried a few different types of noodles, they all seemed the same. There was absolutely no difference if we were eating a juicy piece of steak or some boiled chicken. It is funny how we take our senses for granted and yet how important they are.

Then Debarshi said, I am going to prepare a hot chicken gravy and it was so awesome! I had this dish three days in a row and today I was finally able to taste it. It was amazing!

We had this delicious chicken gravy with Luchi (deep fried puffed bread). Let me tell you, I have always been reluctant to fry Luchi because they go wrong so many times. But practice makes perfect and it is so very true with luchi. I add ¼ cup of whole wheat flour for every 1 cup of all purpose flour. It helps to control the gluten. Also, I add 3-4 teaspoons of oil per cup of flour, so that the flour turns non-sticky but not too flaky. Be careful while adding water, you don't need a lot. Finally, the oil should be hot enough to fry but not burning. A small ball of flour into the oil is a great way to check the temperature. Push down the luchi with the spatula so that it starts puffing up then turn it. When frying luchi it is best to have someone accompany you. However, if you are alone, it just needs a little planning. Roll a couple of luchis first, then fry them one by one. I also make sure to keep Prisha occupied with something so that she doesn't come near the gas range at that time.

Now if you don't want to get into all this (and I completely understand), you can of course serve it with Naan/ Garlic Naan/ Rice or Pulao. This delicious gravy goes great with any carb.

Now this chicken is as amazing as it looks but be aware that it is not for the faint hearted. The color comes from the tomatoes and if you want you can skip adding the green chili paste (at the very end). In recipes like this one, we always keep some chicken aside (for Prisha) before making it hot.

This recipe has two parts, first is seasoning and frying the chicken. The second is, making the gravy. Unlike other chicken gravy recipes, this one doesn't have any potatoes. There is though one secret ingredient which will bring all the rustic delicious flavors.

Chicken or Murgi is the easiest meat to cook. It is also the most commonly consumed source of protein. This recipe is truly one of the quintessential Bengali delicacies. Chicken cooks fast so you have to keep in mind the overall cooking time you are putting the chicken through. By cooking the spices first and then adding the chicken, you will prevent overcooking and making it chewy.

If you don’t mind some hot flavors in your dishes, do try this recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 pound (skinless, boneless breasts or any type of pieces you like, cut into big pieces), washed and drained
Garlic – 3 cloves, paste
Red Onion – ½ of a big onion, thinly sliced/ grated
Ginger - 1 inch, peeled and finely grated
Tomato - 1 big, grated
Salt – to taste (about ½ teaspoon) + plus ½ teaspoon to season the chicken
Turmeric Powder - ½ teaspoon + plus ½ teaspoon to season the chicken
Degi Mirch - ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Cumin Powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds - ½ teaspoon
Bay Leaf - 1-2
Mace - 1 blade
Green Cardamom - 3-4
Clove - 4-5
Cinnamon - 1 medium stick
Kasuri Methi - 2 tablespoons
Gram Flour (Besan) - 2 teaspoons
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Green Chili - 2-3, paste
Garam Masala - ½ teaspoon
Canola Oil - 1 cup
Mustard Oil - 2-3 tablespoons
Gram Flour - 2-3 teaspoons

Directions:

Heat a wide pan over medium high heat.
Add 1 cup of Canola Oil in it.
Let the oil heat up, in the meantime, season the Chicken with Salt, Degi Mirch and Turmeric.
Fry the chicken in batches. Shallow fry the chicken on all sides till it turns golden red in color. Keep it aside.
Now take another pan or wok and heat it over medium high heat.
Add the Mustard Oil in it.
Temper with the whole spices (Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaf, Mace, Green Cardamom, Clove and Cinnamon).
Next add the Onion, fry till golden in color.
Then add the Ginger and Garlic. Fry them together for 2 minutes.
Finally add the Tomato and add the spices as well (Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Salt and Turmeric Powder).
Next we will fry the mixture till the oil separates. It will take 5-10 minutes to cook the mixture properly. Keep stirring occasionally, heat will be medium- medium low.
Take a non-stick pan and heat it over low heat. Add the Gram Flour in it. Stir occasionally. Once it roasts and smells aromatic, turn off the heat.
Add the roasted gram flour in the onion mixture with the Sugar.
Mix and add some water (about 1 cup).
Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
Add the Chicken. The gram flour will quickly thicken the gravy. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes over low heat so that the chicken completely cooks and absorbs all the delicious flavors.
Next add Kasuri Methi & Green Chili paste. Mix everything together.
Finally add the Garam Masala powder, mix and cook for 2 more minutes.
Chicken Kosha is ready!
Serve with Luchi/ Naan/ Garlic Naan/ Rice or Pulao.

Tips:

Use a chopper to finely slice the onion.
Use a blender like NutriBullet to make the pastes.
Green Chili paste is optional. Keep in mind it makes the dish really hot so add only if you are sure you can handle the heat.
The final consistency of the dish will be dry like a clingy gravy. Keep cooking and reducing the sauce till that consistency is achieved. If the chicken has completely cooked, transfer to the serving bowl and continue reducing the gravy.