Chicken – 1 kg, skinless and curry cut into medium to small pieces
Curd/yogurt – 1 cup
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Onion paste – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Other ingredients
Ghee/clarified butter – 2 tbsp
Mustard Oil/Vegetable oil – 4 tbsp
Bay leaf/tej pattta – 2
Green cardamom – 3 to 4
Cloves – 5 to 6
Cinnamon stick – 2 inch piece
Black peppercorns – 10 to 12
Dry red chillies – 2, split
Onion – 3, large, ground to a smooth paste without water
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 4, slit lengthwise
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Poppy seeds/khus khus/posto dana – 1 tbsp, soaked in water for 15 mins
Cashew nuts – 1 tbsp, raw, soaked in water for 15 mins
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Kewra water/screwpine essence – 1 tsp
Saffron strands – 10 to 15
Instructions
Wash the chicken thoroughly and drain out all the water completely. Take the chicken in a large bowl and add all the ingredients listed under marinade to the same bowl.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with the chicken so that all aromatics like ginger, garlic & onion pastes are mixed evenly and all pieces of chicken are coated on all sides. Set it aside for 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, drain the water out from poppy seeds and cashew nuts and grind them together to make a smooth paste. You may add a little water to grind them smoothly.
After about an hour, heat a large frying pan and add 4 tablespoons of mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken pieces but without the marinating liquid. Lift one chicken piece at a time and let the extra liquid drip off, then add the chicken to the hot oil. Do NOT discard the marinating liquid.
Sauté the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side on medium heat until a beautiful golden brown color is developed on each side. Take them out on a plate and set aside until needed.
Now heat a large kadai or wok. Once hot, add the leftover oil from the frying pan in which you sautéed the chicken.
Also add the ghee to the wok and let it warm up. Then temper the ghee with bay leaves, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorn and dry red chillies. Sauté them for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
Now add the onion paste and sauté them on medium flame for 15 minutes until the onion paste changes the color a little.
Next add ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilies and mix everything well. Let the ginger & garlic pastes cook until the raw smell is gone.
Then add cumin powder, black pepper powder and the poppy seed & cashew nut paste which you had prepared earlier. Give everything a good mix and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Now add the seared chicken pieces along with all the accumulated juice on the plate to the kadai. Stir well to mix the chicken with the gravy base.
Continue to cook the chicken on medium flame for 15 more minutes until oil starts to release. Now add the marinating liquid which was left from the chicken along with 1 cup of water.
Add sugar and season with salt to taste. Mix everything well and bring the gravy to a boil. Then lower the heat and cover the wok to simmer the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Once the chicken is completely cooked, check the consistency of the gravy and adjust if necessary. Check and adjust for seasoning if needed.
Finally add garam masala, saffron strands and kewra water and give a final mix. Switch off the flame, cover the wok and let the curry sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Your luxurious chicken rezala is ready to serve! Devour it with plain white rice or your favorite veg pulao. Enjoy!
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at https://www.flavorquotient.com/2023/05/restaurant-style-chicken-rezala-recipe/