Recipe: Homestyle Chicken Curry (Murgir Jhol)

Recipe Source: Singh, Vivek.  Curry Cuisine.  Fall River Press, New York, 2009 p.  72

I really like dishes like this.  They're not terribly useful from the perspective of building up a stock of recipes to post before the Fearless Fetus makes her appearance.  That's because it's essentially a complete meal in one dish.  Sometimes it's very, very nice to have a simple, one-dish meal that you don't have to fuss over too much. 

I made a few small changes to the recipe, but I get the impression from the intro to the recipe that it's okay.  Apparently "every cook has his or her own recipe, and each swears by theirs."  I reduced the amount of oil (this is a habit), used crushed garlic and minced ginger instead of ginger and garlic pastes, canned tomatoes, and Lemony Vegetable Broth in place of chicken stock.  The result was a very tasty and very satisfying dish that we both enjoyed tremendously. 

Murgir Jhol (serves 4; approx. $2.68/serving)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 bay leaves

3 green cardamom pods

4 black peppercorns

4 red onions, finely chopped

4 potatoes, quartered

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 lb bone-in chicken thighs, halved and skinned

1 tablespoon minced ginger

5 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

1 2/3 cups Lemony Vegetable Broth

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon (or more) chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment:

• Large wok, saute pan or even saucepan

1. Heat the oil in the pan.  Add the 1/2 teaspoon cumin, bay leaves, cardamom pods and peppercorns and cook until they "crackle."
2. Add the onions.  Cook over medium heat until softened.
3. Add the potatoes and cook 5 minutes.
4. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then add the chicken.  Cook until the chicken is lightly browned.
5. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, remaining salt, chili powder and turmeric.  Cook 10 minutes.  You'll want to stir pretty frequently; you don't want anything to burn.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes.
7. Add the broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked.
8. Transfer to your serving bowl.  Top with the cardamom and cinnamon powders and garnish with the cilantro. 

Comments

[The Duo Dishes]

Fearless fetus. :) She gets to eat so well!

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Czech cuisine is full of all kinds of dumplings. But apart from fruit filled dumplings, they are mostly eaten as a side dish with meat or savoury sauce. That's probably why this recipe looks so intriguing to me. And of course, I love cinnamon!