Desi Murg Kali Mirch
A friend from the Sylhet area of eastern Bengal showed me his way with chicken, which I find interesting. Here are two of the variations prepared by him, one being a sort of kali mirch chicken. He used whole chilies and oil with abandon; please choose your tolerance level. He suggested that this type of ‘dry’ preparation was best eaten with slightly moist or sticky rice, and the oil itself was an integral part of the ‘gravy’. Use a good heavy-bottomed wok/karhai, or pan, with cover.
Total Steps
4
Ingredients
10
Tools Needed
3
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken, skinned, jointed
- 10 whole dry red chillies, left whole with stalks
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- bulb garlic, unskinned (one large US type)(optional)
- black peppercorns(optional)
- salt
- chopped onions(optional)
- whole garam masala (clove, green cardamom, cinnamon/cassia)(optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Heat a pan (wok or karhai) and add vegetable oil. Once the oil is rippling and approaching its smoking point, add the whole dry red chillies and stir. Add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder, stirring until they begin to change color. Immediately add the chicken (be careful of fumes) and stir to coat it thoroughly. The goal is to brown the chilies and chili powder until toasty without scorching.
Step 2
Adjust the heat and bhunao (dry-fry) the chicken until it turns white, develops browned and russet patches, and the spices darken. Duration will vary based on chicken type and moisture content.
Step 3
Blend unskinned garlic (one large bulb, US type, or to taste) and black peppercorns (to taste) into a paste. Add salt and this paste to the bhunaoed chicken. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and cook in residual moisture until the spices smell aromatic and are not raw or overdone.
Step 4
(Optional Variation): At the bhunaoed stage (before adding the garlic-pepper paste), add chopped onions, whole garam masala (clove, green cardamom, cinnamon/cassia), and salt. Cover and cook as described in the previous step to create a dry 'curry' (omitting the garlic-pepper paste).