Papa’s surprisingly simple Chicken Curry
The beauty of this Chicken Curry is it's simplicity. In many ways, it is an embodiment of my dad's virtues, his warmth, endless patience and love for cooking and conversations. Recreating this recipe brings me closer home when I am missing Papa.
Cooking chicken curry at my home was a day long event, starting with Papa giving us clear instructions, so we could start the prep while he got the chicken from the local butcher. My mother would start with slicing onions, while I would (occasionally) help with pounding garlic and ginger to a paste.
Papa would examine the sliced onions and the pounded ginger and garlic to make sure they met his "specifications". He would then start the cooking process by first making tea for mom (the process was going to be long and who knew when the next tea break might happen)! Then, the cooking would begin. As Papa slow-cooked the chicken, the fragrance would fill the house and we would crowd the kitchen, waiting for "taste tests". In between, a few more cups of tea would be served, and a few family stories told.
Over the years, as I try to recreate this recipe for my family, I have realized, the key ingredients to this dish are, patience, a love for cooking, tea breaks and stories! Everything else is optional.
My dad's famous and surprisingly simple chicken curry
- 1 Whole Chicken cut into 8 pieces (Or about 3.5 lbs of pre-cut chicken with a mix of bone-on and boneless pieces)
- 3 tbsp Mustard Oil (Or any cooking oil preferred)
- 2 Pods of Star Anise
- 4-5 Pods of cloves (Laung)
- 1 Large Red Onion (Cut into thin slices.)
- 3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli
- 2 tsp Ginger and garlic paste (Freshly grated ginger and garlic works fine too)
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 tbsp Kashuri Methi (Optional)
- 1 tbsp Chopped cilantro for garnish
Heat mustard oil in a thick bottom pan till it reaches smoking point. Add whole spices and stir till fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add sliced onions and fry till they are translucent.
While whole spices are optional in this recipe. I personally love star anise which imparts a floral fragrance to the dish. My dad does not use star anise and you can skip it too! Mustard oil must be brought to smoking point before any other ingredients are added. Other types of oil do not need to be heated to that point.
Add Kashmiri chili followed by a splash of water. Fry the onions with the chili, adding a splash of water a few times until you see the bright red color imparted by the Kashmiri chili.
Add bone-in pieces first. Fry on medium heat till the chicken starts to turn opaque (about 5 minutes).
Add the boneless pieces and stir. Add salt and ginger garlic paste. Now, roll up your sleeves and fry the chicken, uncovered, on medium heat for about 30-45 minutes, or until it is almost done.
If you are using Kasoori Methi, add it now. Add water and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked to your preferred level of doneness. Turn off heat, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or roti.
