CHICKEN REZALA

REZALA is cooked with chicken or mutton, these days vegetarians use cauliflower too. It is coated with a layer of ghee, whole spices make it flavourful. It's an extremely popular dish in Kolkata. My love affair with rezala dates back to the 90's when I used to visit the famous Muslim Restaurants with my dear pals to taste "Moglai" [as Muslim food is called there] dishes, and landed on Rezala one day, the rest is history. I mean you can easily make out why I cannot shed those few extra kilos even after regular exercise. Like an average Bengali, I am a foodie, proud about it. The well known hotelier Anjan Chatterjee who has a chain of restaurants all over India says rezala owes its taste to ingredients that goes into it. These includes whole spices, kewra water[attar], milk, cream. He says the popularity of rezala in Bengal is perhaps the fact that Bengalis prefer a tinge of sweetness in their food.

I would also take the liberty to say Kolkata has the best Muslim Restaurants compared to the rest of India, some of them are as old as 50-100 years, some worth mentioning are Royal, Sabir, Shiraj, Rehmania, Aminia.... Arsalan may be newer[?]. In the book OH!CALCUTTA Anjan chatterjee writes about how rezala entered Bengali Cuisine. The story goes that when the Nawabs of Awadh and descendants of Tipu Sultan were exiled in Bengal, they carried their cooks along with them[WIKI]. They were responsible for the Islamic touch to Bengali cuisine, namely the use of spices, ghee and mutton / chicken.

Rezala goes extremely well with Rumali Roti. Due to my inability to prepare Rumali Roti I serve it with Luchi / Paratha. Though Mutton Rezala is more tastier and popular than the one made with chicken, I have come up with the latter this time. The mutton version would come some other day. Lets proceed with the recipe that I followed, I forgot whose.

INGREDIENTS :[FOR THE MARINATION] :

Chicken : 500 gm
Plain Yogurt : 250 gm
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Salt : As required

INGREDIENTS :[for the gravy]:

Cashew : 6-8
Poppy Seeds : 1tbsp [those who stay in Singapore or Dubai, use white sesame seed of the same amount]
Shredded Coconut : 1/2small cup
Onion : 2 medium
Milk : 1/2 cup
Black Peppercorn :10
Whole Dried Red Chillies : 6
Cinnamon Stick : 2 one inch pieces
Green Cardamon : 4
Cloves : 4
Bay leaf : 1
Kewra Water [attar] : 3-4 drops[i substituted with Rose Water]
Sugar : 1tsp
Ghee[clarified Butter] : 3tbsp +1tsp
Hot Water : 1/2cup

METHOD :

Wash, cut chicken into big pieces. Marinate chicken with beaten yogurt, salt, ginger paste. Keep covered at room temperature for 2 hours.

Peel, wash onions, get a smooth paste out of it. Wash the poppy seeds white sesame seeds[those who stay in Singapore or Dubai]taken in a strainer, get a paste along with the cashews, shredded coconut adding little water.

Heat 3tbsp ghee in wok. Temper with bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves. As they give out aroma, add the onion paste. Fry until the raw smell goes. 

Wipe the marinade from the chicken, add the chicken pieces. Fry for 2-3 minutes at medium heat. Now add the marinade and lower the heat to minimum.

Stir, cover. Stir every 2-3 minutes to avoid sticking at bottom. Once the chicken is half done, add poppyseed-cashew paste, stir. Let it cook covered at minimum heat. Add water, cover cook for 2 minutes.

Add milk, rose water, sugar. Stir, let cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp ghee, fold in well. 

Switch off gas stove. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with whole dried red chillies. Serve with any bread of choice.

Please note:

Since milk is used, it tends to spoil quickly, eat it fresh.

Use rose water if you cannot take the strong smell of kewra water.

It has to be slow cooked, the gravy should be thicker, not too thick either.