Recipe: Hitesh's Dhaba-Style Chicken

I have hit on a perfect Sunday recipe for chicken which, when cooked in mustard oil, has become my favourite!

I actually used rai tel for the first time and, wow, was I missing something! I am officially a fan now -- it adds a delicious flavour to this preparation.

Inspired by Chef Ranveer Brar's recipe for a dish popular at highway rest stops -- hat tip to Ranveerji -- my Dhaba-Style Chicken is simple, super-satisfying and goes well with garama garam rice or rotis.

Dhaba-Style Chicken

Serves 7-8

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken washed and cleaned, with bones
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp degi mirch or a mixed red chilly powder
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp brown dhania or coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 badi elaichi or black cardamom
• 2-3 tej patta or bay leaves
• 3-4 lavang or cloves
• 2 green elaichi or cardamom
• 4-5 black peppercorns
• 100 ml mustard oil
• 3-4 non-spicy ie light green chillies
• 1 tbsp julienned ginger
• 1 tbsp finely chopped green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro stems
• ½ cup chopped green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro
• 4 tomatoes, pureed
• Hot water as required
• Salt to taste, about 2 tsp

Method

• Marinate the chicken with salt, 1 tbsp degi mirch, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste.
  Add 2 tsp of the mustard oil and mix well
  Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• In a saucepan or a heavy-bottomed kadhai, add the remaining mustard oil and heat the oil on medium-high heat till it smokes.
  Turn the heat down to medium and add the whole spices.
  Add the onions and saute till golden brown.
  Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
  Next add the tomato puree, salt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, the remaining degi mirch powder, coriander powder, garam masala and mix well.
  Mix in the marinated chicken, saute well, letting it cook for 5-7 minutes.
  Add enough of the the hot water to get a semi-wet consistency (please see the picture above).
  Cook for 10 minutes more,
  Add in the chopped coriander stems, leaves, ginger juliennes, green chillies and cook for another 5-7 minutes
• Take off heat and serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.

• REDIFF FOOD