Chicken Country Captain, the Anglo Indian Way
Chicken Country Captain. Born in an Anglo-Indian kitchen, out of a memsahibs dire crisis and her bawarchis novel ingeniousness. A as-basic-as-it-gets chicken curry. An onion-ginger gravy. Perfumed with cinnamon and cloves. Spiked with peppercorn. Pacified by tomatoes. No-fuss. Yet divine.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken curry cut pieces
- 2 onions finely sliced
- 1 onion ground to a paste
- 1 tomato pureed
- 1/2 green bell pepper cut into strips
- 1/2 red bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 tsp turemeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 one inch cinnamon sticks
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper corns
- 1 tbsp black pepper powder freshly ground
- 2 dry red chillies broken into pieces
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in pan, fry the sliced onions till golden brown. Keep aside.
- Add the remaining oil, throw in the cinnamon sticks, crushed cloves, dry red chilies, black peppercorns and saute for 2-3 odd mins till the spices release their aroma.
- Stir in the onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and tomato puree. Sprinkle a little salt and cook till the onions and tomatoes are cooked and the raw smell of onion paste or tomato puree is no longer there.
- Now add the chicken, turmeric powder, red chili powder and fried onions. Add the black pepper powder, stir fry for 5 odd minutes.
- Add the bell peppers, give it a hearty mix. Cook for a minute or two.
- Add 1/2 a cup of warm water, adjust seasonings and cook covered till the chicken is tender and the gravy has thickened.
- Serve hot with rice.