Robibarer Murgir Jhol (Sunday Special Chicken Curry)

Is it a shame that in spite of being Bengali I only have one chicken recipe so far in my blog? I never realized this unless my brother (yes, again that notorious little soul) pointed it out.  He said that am actually ruining the reputation of Bengali cuisine, as anyone visiting my pampered little space would think that Bengalis are very health conscious and survive only on vegetables and sometimes fish. He even told me to look around in other Bengali blogs where non-vegetarian dishes rule at least half of the total recipes. I wanted to retort but he didn’t give me any chance. Being a non-meat eater in a family of serious carnivores, I have always been bullied like this by my two brothers. The situation was worse before, when I didn’t even eat fish and often was called ‘a Big Bong Joke’.

Actually my family’s love for non-veg is almost legendary. They can have chicken for all four meals of the day. Maa seldom cooks any vegetable dish without any non-veg addition. Her shaak charchari, Panchmisheli or ghanto will never come to the table without some kucho chingri (small prawn), Macher matha (fish head) or macher tel (fish oil). You dare to serve my elder brother any vegetable dish, and you will get a stern look with the reply ‘Baghe ki Kakhano ghas khay? (Do tigers ever eat grass?). Yes, in this respect we have many Royal Bengal tigers in our family. Between what does that make me look like? A goat may be :-(

But here the situation is poles apart. Hubby prefers fish over meat and after eating chicken twice every week in office he does not want to have it on weekends. As a result I seldom get to cook meat dishes, mostly when friends or families come over for meals. This chicken curry was from the day when my cousin came for lunch with her husband and 5 years old son almost a month back. But back home its different. Every Sunday is a funday in all-Bengali families as this is the day when they sit and enjoy their most leisurely meal of Mangsho’r jhol (chicken/mutton curry) and bhat (steamed white rice). The day being special the chicken is also cooked in a special way with all its real glory and by that I mean mustard oil being poured generously to fry the chopped onions on low flame till they are golden brown and then the sautéing of the marinated chicken for a long long time to cook it in its own juice. The dish is not only rich in spices, garam masala or taste but is also loaded with love, care, affection and patience of the women who cook it for their beloved. They never hurry in making this, as they know that the way to their man’s heart is through this ‘Sunday special Chicken curry’.

In Santiniketan, Sunday being the full working day I hardly had lunch on this special day. Going to school on Sundays felt like punishment. Not only I missed India’s most cherished TV serial Ramayan and Mahabharat but also those rare occasions of Baba (father) being home and the gathering around him. Some days when Maa invited my two Kaku (uncle) for lunch she would allow me a day off from school. After completing our morning study session and finishing a heavy breakfast of luchi(poori), alur tarkari (Potato curry) we all sat in the drawing room in front of the TV to watch the serial. The curtains were closed and the room was dark and we absorbed each and every scene and dialogue.  After the serial was over Maa would enter the kitchen to cook the meal. While she peeled the potatoes and chopped the onions her bangles would make a soft tling tling sound. I loved that tone and often entered the kitchen to enjoy that moment with her.  Soon the house would be filled with a heady aroma of fried spices and marinated chicken and with that same fried spice she would cook a paneer dish for me too. At lunch over that delectable chicken curry and white rice many leisurely moments would be spent over adda (gossip), tarko (debate) and galpo (stories).

Still Maa cooks chicken curry on Sundays, still my brothers scrape their plates clean and still they enjoy this iconic meal with lots of adda but am not there to enjoy those moments of togetherness.

Mangsho’r Jhol

Ingredients:

Chicken: 1 Kg, cut in medium size pieces

Onions: 3 big

Ginger paste: 1 tbsp

Garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Green chillies: 4-5

Tomato: 1 medium

Curd: 4 tbsp

Oil: 3/4 cup (I use mustard oil and saffola gold in 1:1 ratio)+2tbsp mustard oil

Potatoes: 4 medium

Red chili powder: 11/2 tsp

Whole clove: 5-6
Cinnamon: 1" piece

Black pepper: 8-9

Garam masala powder: 1/3 tsp

Turmeric

Salt

Sugar: ½ tsp

Method:

Wash the chicken pieces and marinate it with curd, chopped tomato, half of the ginger-garlic paste, green chili paste, salt, 1 tsp red chili powder and 2 tbsp mustard oil.

Slice the onions in half moon shape and keep aside.

Peel and cut the potatoes in half and smear with little salt and turmeric.

Heat the rest of the oil and fry the potato pieces till golden. Drain and keep aside.

In the same oil add the cloves. Cinnamon and black pepper. Once they splutter add the chopped onion. Fry this on low till they change colour to a light brown.

Add ½ tsp sugar, rest of the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for another minute.

Pour the marinated chicken, salt, turmeric and red chili powder. Now comes the lengthy part of Kashano or browning the meat on low heat. And this process is like stir and cover and again follow the same. This will take almost 15-20 minutes till you see the oils are separating at the sides and the meat pieces are becoming dry. Check by poking your spatula in a big chunky piece of meat. If it easily goes through that means you are good to go for the next stage.

Once you see the meat pieces are 75% cooked add two cups or more (depends on what texture you need, if you want it runny add more water. 2 cups are enough to give an end result with thick gravy) of warm water and the potato pieces. (Maa says never add cold water to any non vegetarian curries, not only the taste deteriorates but also the meat will come off from the bones).

Mix thoroughly and check the seasoning. Cover and let it simmer till the meat pieces are cooked.

Sprinkle some garam masala on top and serve piping hot with warm rice and salad.

Your delectable Sunday lunch is ready. Eat this over fun and gossip with ample amount of time in hand as the meal will make you sleepy and by the time you are finished with the rice you will look for a quite place for your siesta.

Enjoy!!!

A Homemaker’s note:

If you want kasha mangsho (chicken curry where no water is added) then keep on browning the chicken without any water. To do this you will have to constantly stir the chicken as otherwise it will burn at the bottom. If needed you can sprinkle little water at times. Also add the fried potatoes with the marinated chicken. 

Vegetarians add lightly fried paneer or potatoes or cauliflowers to it. you would get a rich and spicy finger licking vegetarian dish.


Events:
sending this to Venessa's A Taste of holidays at Sweet Artichoke.

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