Every Bengali family has a favourite Murgir Jhol recipe. I want to say that Murgi, which means the Chicken is the main attraction of this Bengali style Chicken curry called Murgir Jhol! But that would be lying because the star attraction of this dish is the red colour and potato.
1bigred onion chopped (approx. 200gm or 1 1/2 cup)
3bigGarlic cloves
20gmGinger1 inch
1mediumTomatochopped
2Green Chillies
1tspCumin powder
1 ½tspCoriander powder
½tspTurmeric powder
½tspRed Chilli powder
1tspKashmiri red chilli powderoptional
Instructions
Prep work
Peel the skin of the potatoes, wash and cut them in half and put them into a medium-size mixing bowl, and rub them with salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder.
Cut Ginger, garlic into small pieces and put in a blending jar along with green chillies, add a few tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste.
In a mixing bowl add chicken pieces, all ground spices, salt, ginger garlic paste and 1 tbsp. of mustard oil. Mix everything well.
Cover with a lid and keep in the refrigerator at least for 2 hours, overnight is even better.
Then bring to room temperature before cooking.
Cook
In a dutch oven or a deep cooking pan heat oil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and add potatoes, and cook for few minutes to develop a golden colour on the outside. Then remove from oil.
Next, add Bay leaf, green cardamoms, cinnamon bark, cloves to the remaining oil and cook for few seconds to extract the flavour from the spices.
Add finely chopped the onion and sprinkle salt for onion, over medium heat cook until the onion is softened and develop a pink colour.
Add chopped tomato, sprinkle salt again for tomato, cook the tomato and onion mixture for another 2-3 minutes.
After that add marinated chicken and mix well with the onion-tomato mixture, over high heat cook for few minutes and cover with a lid, this will help to release the moisture from the meat.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
Add potatoes, ( if you think the potatoes you are adding cook fast add a little later), over medium-high heat continue cooking until oil is releasing from the mixture.it will take another 10 to 15 minutes.
Add 2-3 cups warm water to the chicken, stir to mix everything, cover with the lid and cook over high heat.
When the gravy comes up to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for few minutes.
When you get your desired consistency, sprinkle garam masala, increase the heat to high, give a quick stir.
Wait for one final boil, put the lid on and turn off the heat.
Give ten to fifteen minutes of resting time before serve.