Chicken Bharta

If you’ve been to Kolkata and eaten Indian food at the dhabas or at Kwality’s, then this is a dish you would definitely remember. Absolutely mouthwatering and it was so tough for me not to taste a little while cooking it! I strongly suggest you to try it out. This dish tastes excellent with garlic naans or hot paranthas.

Ingredients:

250 gms chicken breasts

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp red chili powder

2 cinnamon, 2 cloves and 2 cardamoms

1 tsp pepper powder

2 tbsp ginger/ garlic paste

1 medium onion chopped

1 small tin tomato purée

1 egg (boiled)

1 tbsp kasuri methi

5-6 cashews

1 tbsp butter

5/6 tbsp cream

Say to taste

Recipe for dhaba style chicken bharta:

Step 1: Cook the chicken- In a pan, add the chicken breast pieces, 1 cardamom, 1 cinnamon, 1 clove, 1 tbsp ginger/ garlic paste, pepper and salt to taste. Pour water and let this boil.

Step 2: Once the chicken is cooked, remove and shred the chicken. Keep the chicken broth aside for later.

Step 3: Heat oil in a pan. Fry the onions along with 1 cardamom, 1 cinnamon, 1 clove and 1 tbsp ginger/ garlic paste. Put this in a grinder and make a paste.

Step 4: Crush the cashews in a grinder and make a paste.

Step 5: Heat butter in a pan. Add in the onion paste and fry. Pour in the tomato purée along with the powdered spices and salt to taste. Add in the cashew paste and stir well. At this stage pour in the chicken broth that was kept aside. Cover the lid and let this cook for a few minutes.

Step 6: Add in the shredded chicken and mix well. Pour the cream on top and crushed kasuri methi.

Step 7: Garnish with a boiled egg. You can mix diced boiled egg into the chicken bharta, but I chose to skip this.