Chicken Rezala Kolkata Style

This is one delicacy which transports me to my younger days in Kolkata. The recipe was first brought by the Mughals to Bengal but never travelled much outside it. A Bong dish with a royal color is how it can be described best. The taste of chicken rezala in Aminia is something I never got out of even after staying away from my city for over a decade. The vivid memory of those frequent visits either with Maa Baba or friends to one of my favorite eatouts in Kolkata makes me nostalgic...homesick. The juicy, succulent melt-in-mouth chicken pieces with every morsel and the rich flavour of ghee, dry red chillies, peppercorns, mitha atar/rose water/kewra water mingled with a taste of cashew nuts and poppy seeds made the dish just out of the world. It was savoured with either biryani or rumali roti, gave a feeling of divinity to the palate. Trying to recreate that taste in my kitchen was daunting but I took the challenge and was amazed at the result. Sharing with you the recipe of that delectable Kolkata style chicken rezala......

Chicken Rezala Kolkata Style

Chicken Rezala Kolkata Style

Chicken Rezala Kolkata Style

Chicken Rezala Kolkata Style

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken pieces
• 4 onions pasted
• 11/2 inch ginger pasted
• 1 tblspn freshly crushed white peppercorns
• 1 tblspn black peppercorns
• 4-5 whole dry red chillies
• 100 gms cashew paste
• 50 gms poppy seeds/ khus khus/ posto paste
• 200 gms yogurt/dahi
• 5-6 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cinnamon sticks
• 4-5 cloves
• 4-5 tblspoons rose water
• 2 tblspns ghee/clarified butter
• White oil as per requirement
• Salt n sugar to taste

Chicken Rezala Kolkata Style

Procedure:

Soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts for half an hour in water and make a smooth paste in the mixie. Wash the chicken pieces well and marinate them with yogurt, poppy seeds paste, cashew nuts paste, ginger paste, white pepper powder and 1 tblspn rose water for  at least 1 hour. Now heat oil and ghee together in a wok and add the whole garam masalas, red chillies, black peppercorns and wait for them to crackle. Then add the onion paste and fry till the oil separates. Add the marinated chicken and continue frying for 10 minutes. When the chicken starts turning light brown add the seasoning and warm water. Cover and cook till the chicken gets tender. Switch off the flame and add the remaining rose water. Mix well, cover and give it some standing time. Serve with biryani or rumalis......