Aam KAsundi Murgi Chicken in Mango and mustard sauce
12:43 PM
If like trousseau, a Bengali would-be bride is ever asked to gather her spice-box, mustard would be the first one she would put safely in her secret stash.
Yes, Mustard is that indispensable ingredient of our pantry, the disappearance of which could cause a serious heart attack in many like me. Especially in a Ghoti household where Macher Jhal stands for Sorshe and aam kasundi (raw mango mustard sauce)is sprinkled on anything to make it edible.
Let me tell you about Aam Kasundi today.
Am Kasundi is a classic Bengali sauce, which used to be painstakingly made in each and every household during summer. They were made in huge batches after week-long preparation of Cleaning and sun drying the mustard and spices and then hand pounding it to the right texture. Once measured and mixed, the sauce was poured in huge earthen pots and sealed to rest for a good three months' time in some cold and dark corner of the house. They were guarded like a treasure and sat undisturbed on wooden racks in neat lines for years with other jars of pickles and preserves. Nobody could touch them but the designated person. The person had to take a bath and wear sundried clothes to take out small portions of sauces and pickles every week.
This was how things were in our childhood.
Then we grew up. Houses became small and that dark cold-pantry room vanished with all of its earthen pots and jars. With that we lost our time
But our love for kasundi stayed on.
This aam kasundi murgi is a famous Bengali restaurant dish. Maa never made it nor did Grandma. This is entirely my version that my family loves. And what's not to love, It's sharp, it's spicy and with a slight hint of sourness it's truly finger licking good.
Make it to believe it yourself.
Aam Kasundi Murgi
Ingredients:
Chicken: 1 kg; curry cut
Onion: 1 large purple onion (very finely chopped, 1/3 cup)
Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green mango: 1/2 of a medium one (This entirely depends on your taste and the tartness of the mango, ours was very tart) (See notes for substitute)
Green chilies: 5-6 or as per your taste
Kasundi: 2 tbsp (See notes for substitute)
Yogurt: 3 tbsp
Mustard oil: 1/3 cup
Salt
Turmeric
Pepper powder: a fat pinch to activate the turmeric
Method:
Wash the chicken and drain very well.
Mix it with beaten yogurt, garlic paste, 2-3 pounded green chilies, 2 tbsp mustard oil, salt and turmeric. Marinate for at least an hour.
In the meantime peel and chop the onion very finely.
Peel and slice the raw mango finely.
Heat oil and fry one slit green chili and the onion. Sprinkle some salt and fry on medium for 6-8 minutes till it softens. I add a few drops of water in between to cook for longer time.
Then add all the chicken along with the marinade. Mix and cover. Let it cook on medium for 15-20 minutes or till the juice dries out and the oil starts to appear on the sides.
Place the mango pieces in the chicken. Mix and check the seasoning. Add salt or sugar and more whole green chilies for flavour. Add one and half cups of warm water. Mix again and cover.
after 5 minutes add the kasundi and mix.
Simmer till the gravy thickens.
Serve hot with rice or roti.
A Homemaker's Diary:
- To make something similar to kasundi blend together 2 tbsp mustard (black and yellow in 1:1), 1/4 raw mango (sour one), 3 fat cloves of garlic, 1/3 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 green chilly (hot) and 1 tbsp mustard oil. Add little water to make a smooth paste. Season as per taste.
- If you do not have raw mango use white vinegar instead.
- To substitute kasundi in this recipe use 1 tbsp mustard paste with 2 extra cloves of garlic.
- Substitute raw mango with a tbsp of white vinegar.
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