Description
Creamy, spicy, and full of texture, this easy chicken bharta recipe is what you need when you want something comforting but different.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Ingredients
For cooking chicken
750gms chicken, boneless thigh, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 ½teaspoonsvinegar
1 ½teaspoonsginger garlic paste
¼teaspoonsalt
¾cupwater
For cashew – poppy seed paste
¼cupbroken cashews
2tablespoonspoppy seeds
â…“cupwater
For the bharta
1 ½tablespoonscooking oil
3tablespoonsghee
1teaspoonshahi jeera
2bay leaves
1 ½inchcinnamon stick
6cloves
3green cardamoms
10peppercorns
2green chillies finely chopped
¾cupsfinely chopped onions, approx. 1 ½ onions
1inchginger finely chopped
1tablespoonginger garlic paste
½teaspoonred chilli powder
1 ½teaspoonskashmiri chilli powder
1 ½teaspoonscoriander powder
¾teaspooncumin powder
¾teaspoonssalt
â…“cupwater
¾cuptomato puree, approx. of 3 medium tomatoes
3tablespooncurds, whisked
3boiled eggs, chopped into 1 cm cubes
¼teaspoongaram masala powder
3teaspoonskasuri methi, dry roasted
1 ½tablespoonsfresh cream, optional
3tablespoonscoriander leaves
For Dhungar / smoking
2-3incheslong charcoal
¼teaspoonoil or ghee
Instructions
Shredding chicken
- Add all ingredients for cooking chicken to a pressure cooker and after the first whistle, cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Allow to depressurise by itself.
750 gms chicken, 1 ½ teaspoons vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons ginger garlic paste, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup water
Drain chicken pieces & reserve the stock for use later. This should yield approx. â…“ cup of chicken stock.
- Chop chicken into 1 cm length and ¼ cm wide cubes. Do not shred the chicken as they turn mushy while cooking. Set aside.
For the cashew – poppy seed paste
- Add all the ingredients mentioned for cashew poppy seed paste to a mixer grinder and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
¼ cup broken cashews, 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, ⅓ cup water
For the bharta
- Heat oil & ghee in a pan, add shahi jeera & all the whole spices given for the bharta and when they sizzle, add onions.
1 ½ tablespoons cooking oil, 3 tablespoons ghee, 1 teaspoon shahi jeera, 2 bay leaves, 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick, 6 cloves, 3 green cardamoms, 10 peppercorns, ¾ cups finely chopped onions
- When onions turn light brown, add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add red chilli powder, kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and fry for a minute.
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 ½ teaspoons kashmiri chilli powder, 1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder, ¾ teaspoon cumin powder
- Add tomato puree and fry for 6-8 minutes till oil & ghee separates from the sides of the pan.
¾ cup tomato puree
- Add cashew – poppy seed paste & whisked curds and fry for 4-5 minutes till oil separates from the sides of the pan.
3 tablespoon curds
- Add the reserved chicken stock & boil for a minute.
- Add chopped chicken, mix well & cook for 5 minutes.
Add â…“ cup water to adjust the consistency & boil for a minute.
â…“ cup water
- Add green chillies, ginger, garam masala powder & chopped eggs & cook for a minute.
2 green chillies finely chopped, 1 inch ginger finely chopped, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, 3 boiled eggs
- Add kasuri methi, fresh cream & coriander leaves, give it a good mix, take off the heat. While the bhartha is still hot, follow the dhungar instructions.
3 teaspoons kasuri methi, 1 ½ tablespoons fresh cream, 3 tablespoons coriander leaves
Dhungar / smoking bharta
- Place charcoal on the gas flame and heat it for 5-7 minutes till it turns red.
2-3 inches long charcoal
- Meanwhile, keep a steel bowl in the centre of the bharta pan & make sure that the pan has a proper lid to trap the smoke.
- Hold the hot charcoal with tongs and put it in the bowl, pour oil on it and immediately cover the lid. Rest it for 3 minutes, discard the charcoal bowl and serve the bharta. (see note 6)
¼ teaspoon oil or ghee
