When someone mentions Bihari cuisine, the only dish that immediately springs to mind is likely to be Litti Chokha. But guess what? There is more to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh than just Litti Chokha. If you delve further into this cuisine, you will discover a ton of undiscovered recipes. However, in the majority of cases, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are famous for their mafia or syndicate culture, like in the movie Gangs of Wasseypur. But that is not the true case. This land is also the birthplace of Buddha, and there are many hidden gems and rich cultures worth exploring. When it comes to food, from Dal Pitha to Chana Ghugni, there are many delicious dishes to try. And if you love chicken, then consider yourself lucky, because you will simply fall in love with Bihari Chicken. Let's learn how to make it with ease at home without further ado.
A typical Indian dish from the state of Bihar is a chicken curry prepared in the Bihari style. You can even try this dish with naan, Litti, or steamed rice. Try this simple recipe for lip-smacking chicken cooked in spicy gravy with whole garlic cloves.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cut chicken (about 800gms)
- 3/4 cup of mustard oil
- 4 pieces of whole red chilies
- 3 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1"inch of roughly chopped ginger
- 8–10 roughly chopped garlic cloves
- 3-4 whole knobs of garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red powder
- 3/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder (haldi)
- 2 tbsp cumin powder (jeera)
- 2 tbsp coriander powder (dhania)
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
For Marination:
- 1/tsp. salt
- 3/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- Juice of one lemon
Whole Garam Masala:
- 2 bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 6 cloves
- 10 peppercorns
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom
- 5 green cardamoms
- 1-star anise
- 1 piece of mace
Instructions:
- Start by marinating chicken in a large bowl with salt, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder (haldi), and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and keep aside to rest for some time. You can keep the marinated chicken to rest either for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
- In a pan, heat mustard oil until it reaches the smoking stage, then let it cool slightly. Take the chicken pieces and fry them on high heat in batches until their color changes. Take out and keep aside. Remember, mustard oil is a must-have ingredient if you are making any Bihari dish.
- Add bay leaves, thyme, and whole red chilies to the same oil. You can also use curry leaves, which will add more flavor, but this is optional.
- Add whole garam spices and cumin seeds (jeera) after that. Let them start to spark.
- Now add the onion slices and cook them until they become transparent.
- Add whole garlic knots and slightly chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté the onions until they start to change color. Avoid darkening the onions too much. Add tomatoes. You can even add tomato puree.
- Remember, garlic knots are the soul of this recipe. You cannot skip this ingredient.
- Turn down the flame to medium. Add salt, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder (haldi), cumin powder (jeera), and coriander powder as the dry masalas. Mix thoroughly. Water should be added to prevent the masalas from burning.
- At this stage, if you think your masala could burn, you can make a paste of masala in water and then add it to the pan. This won't let your masala burn.
- Once the oil begins to form on the sides, this means your masala is cooking well. Cover it with a lid and continue cooking for a few minutes.
- The fried chicken pieces can now be added. Mix thoroughly so that the chicken is coated well with the masalas. Add water, put a lid on top, and cook the chicken pieces for 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the garam masala powder last, stirring thoroughly. Cook again for 20 minutes. Check the salt to see if it suits your taste. Adjust the gravy to your preferences.
- After 20 minutes, check whether the meat has softened or not. If not, continue for another 20 minutes. Add coriander leaves.
Your Bihari chicken curry is ready. Enjoy it with cooked rice or even better with litti.
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