NARKOL KORA MURGI

It is Narkol Kora Murgi.... that is chicken prepared with shredded coconut! How about that hindi phrase... correct or not? Our Hindi speaking and writing ability is terrible. The son is managing.... courtesy... the school and his private tutor. Coming to the problem now, my supposedly happy clicks fails to make my expert  blogger cum photographer friends happy. I could not click the way I wished to but I got to see happy faces... why? There was chicken.... or say a meat on the plate gets sunshine reflect on my shoulder even at 9:30 pm at night. There was some achar / pickle too for me, my senior and yes for our Cristine too.... hahaha.... I have already trained her to eat everything Bengali / Indian.... She says ma'am it is hot but I enjoy.... only that she does not like our sweets that much. She prepares wonderful Oriental soups for my lunches.... I prefer my soups light and my beverages sugar free these days with no alternatives either. The mother of this home's eyes again got "golgol"... surprisingly watching the son secretly sipping from her bottle of green tea without sugar. I am indulgent and I love it when kids..... whosoever it is secretly opens the refrigerator door to look for food and drinks...... perhaps because I am a foodie since my childhood.

This chicken dish with shredded coconut.... that is NARKOL KORA MURGI is not a family recipe. I have not seen it to be cooked in either side of the family. When my parents shifted to the outskirts of Kolkata back in 1995, a boy helped us with the gardening, and other household works. This boy knew many things; construction work, cooking and what not. He told they are from the Barisal district of the formerly undivided India and use coconut in cooking a lot. He was really a help for us in the new neighbourhood.... I remember the date of shifting .... 10th May, 1995. Why? We were having an uncanny feeling in the new house leaving behind a crowded neighbourhood where we lived for 19 years. It was 11pm at night, someone outside was calling my brother's name... who is that? The senior of my chopsticks whose ship reached the Kolkata Harbour that evening..... He came home, got to know we shifted that day, caught a train at 10pm and visited us.... next day he had to reach the ship by 10am. I remember he told my father... you have achieved something, does not matter if it is late ..... while the mother and her kids were still lamenting over leaving behind the crowded, happening city. This guy took the last train towards home without knowing it was an express and will not stop at his place.... Later I heard he reached home at 3 am.... 

I told you the above is one of the few reasons why I never could think of not doing my duty towards my in-laws.... They had been liberal about our relationship .... my height, length, breadth, looks may had been  a concern for the mother-in-law but not to the father-in-law or his son[hopefully] who earned pretty well as a boy of say 23. Thanking the Almighty, I must come to the recipe now... my untold story will be unfolded at different times.... My readers are interested or not, I love narrating. 

Bengalis do use coconut in their cooking but not always like Southern India .... going beyond this will not be permitted by my level of knowledge or research. I had coconut chicken in Chennai and loved it.... ahh the spice and the flavour. After landing in this island, life really got "coconutty" and I love it too..... the taste and flavour both. Come let us cook together my way of Narkol Kora Murgi. I served it to my family last night. You can always choose your mains.

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 500gm
Onion : 1medium [sliced]
Coconut : 1small cup [shredded]
Lemon Juice : 3tbsp + 2tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1/2tsp
Garlic Paste : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Bayleaf : 1
Cinnamon Stick : 1one inch
Green Cardamom : 2-3
Clove : 2-3
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Wash the chicken pieces well and marinate with 3tbsp lemon juice, little turmeric powder and salt, coriander and red chilli powder. Keep covered for an hour.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with bayleaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves. Add the sliced onions and fry till it turns translucent. Add the shredded coconut and fry till both turn golden brown.

Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or so. Add salt, turmeric and fold in well. Add the chicken pieces along with the marinade and fold in well. Cover cook for 10 minutes at the minimal heat, stirring every 3-4 minutes in between.

Remove the  cover and add about half coffee mug of water. Fold in well and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes at minimal heat. We are done. Add 2tbsp of lemon juice over the curry.

I served it with rice, lentils & vegetables. You can always have it with your choice of mains.