North Indian Chicken Stew with Chapati
I made the name of this dish up as Ramesh, the man who taught me to make it didn't seem to have a name for the dish yet. Ramesh is the guard at the school I'm currently working at. On Sundays he cooks meat, so I asked him if I could join in the cooking this Sunday, and he generously obliged. This recipe is a really simple, but flavorful way to cook chicken in only one pot. I highly recommend it.
Time to make: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate
Serves: 3-4 people ( if you make rice as well then you can stretch it to 5)
Ingredients for chicken stew:
1 two pound fresh whole chicken chopped up
10 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
4 medium onions
4 large dried bay leaves
5 medium dried red chilies
1 medium tomato
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons meat masala
1 teaspoon fennel
1 1/2 cups water
Preparation:
Step 1: Go to the store to pick out the chicken you want to cook.
Step 2: .....
Step 3: Chop the chicken into chunks
Step 4: Give the man with bloody hands money for the chicken, then have an internal debate about what to do when the man with bloody hands gives you your change.
Step 5: Try to regain your appetite for dinner while carrying the chunks of chicken home.
Step 6: Upon arriving home ponder the meaning of life, and whether or not to become a vegetarian.
Step 7: Peel approximately 10 cloves of garlic and set them aside. Chop 4 medium size onions, 1 medium tomato and 1 tablespoon peeled ginger.
Step 8: Crush garlic and ginger into a juicy paste, about the consistency of relish. To do this we used a steel cup and the end of a rolling pin.
Step 9: Put 3/4 cup oil in a deep dish over medium-high heat.
Step 10: Once oil is hot add 5 dried red peppers, chopped onions, 4 dried bay leaves and 1 teaspoon fennel. The oil should be bubbling around these items and popping occasionally. Mix frequently, and cover pot when possible. Cook until the onions are soft and golden.
Step 11: While the onions are cooking wash the blood off of your chicken, and massage it gently.
Step 12: Add the garlic and ginger mixture to the pot. Mix and then cover.
Step 13: Mix 2 teaspoons meat masala mixture (we used the brand ashok) and 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric with 1/2 cup water. Once mixed add to the pot.
Step 14: Add the chopped tomato and another 1/4 cup water.
Step 15: Let this mixture cook for 10 minutes.
Step 16: Add the chicken and a heaping tablespoon of salt to the pot. Add another 1/4 cup water. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pot should continue to boil for the duration of this time.
Step 17: Pull off the heat and make your chapati while it is cooling!
Chapati-
Mix about 2 cups flour with water until a dough forms. If it's sticky add a little more flour. Kneed for about 5 minutes. Add a little more water so it becomes slightly sticky. Kneed for 5 more minutes. Make small balls out of the dough about the size of golf balls.
Place a flat, cast iron pan over medium/high heat. Flatten balls of dough with your hands and put some flour on each side of the dough. Roll out until the dough is about 1/4-1/8 of an inch thick, it should be the size of a medium pancake. Place on the hot pan. Cook briefly on one side until golden brown circles form then flip. Cook the other side for longer until larger dark brown circles form. At this point flip the chapati back over to the first side. This will cause the chapati to puff up. You have to apply pressure with some utensil to force the air into the whole chapati, causing it to inflate like a balloon. Once you have finished making one chapati you can just set it on top of the cooking chapati during this puffing phase which will automatically even out the air distribution in the cooking chapati. This is also a good way to keep the chapatis you make first from getting cold.
I have also seen people use open flame to puff the chapatis after they have browned on each side, so if you have a gas stove then this might be worth a shot.
Once the chapatis are done serve the chicken dish. Add rice if you like, as no meal is complete without two carbs.
Enjoy!!!
