Bihari Chicken Curry

By Delicious Addiction on August 28, 2024

My today's recipe is a very simple chicken dish, popular in Bihar. The ingredient that makes it different from other chicken dishes is using whole garlic pods. During my stay in Patna for few years I got an opportunity to closely observe and taste Bihari dishes. Bihari cuisine is very simple and rustic in nature and they rely on local ingredients that are available in market. Unlike Bengalis cooking medium of most of the dishes are mustard oil. Mostly ground pastes that too home made are used in every recipe. Bihari Chicken Curry is very tasty yet simple recipe that goes very well with steamed rice and/or roti. Here goes the recipe…..

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg (Curry Cut)
Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
Bay Leaf – 2 nos
Dry Whole Red Chilli – 2-3 nos
Black Cardamom – 1 no
Green Cardamom – 3-4 nos
Clove – 3-4 nos
Cinnamon Stick – 2"
Whole Black Pepper – 1 tsp
Onion – 4-5 Large (Finely chopped)
Ginger Paste – 1 tsp
Garlic Paste – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 ½ tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 ½ tsp
Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
Whole Garlic – 3-4 nos
Mustard Oil – ½ cup
Salt – To taste

Steps:

Wash the chicken pieces and sprinkle some turmeric powder and salt on them. Apply thoroughly, cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
Make a fine paste adding black cardamom, green cardamom, clove, cinnamon stick and whole pepper corn.
Heat oil in a kadai and temper the oil with cumin seeds, bay leaf and whole red chilli. Next add sliced onion. Cook till they turn soft and pink in colour.
Next add chicken pieces and start sautéing. When the colour of chicken starts to change add ginger paste, garlic paste and turmeric powder. Turn the heat on low and sauté continuously.
When raw smell of ginger and garlic goes off add all powder masalas. Sprinkle a little water. Again sauté for a while. Then add whole garlic pods, cover and cook. Chicken will be cooked in juices released from chicken.
After 10-15 minutes remove cover and stir once again. Add half of the garam masala paste and 1 ½ cups of hot water (or as per requirement). Adjust salt. Cover and cook till chicken is cooked through.
Remove cover and check the doneness of chicken. Add rest of the ground garam masala paste. Mix and remove from heat. Cover and rest for few minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice only.