Ever since last weekend’s buffet lunch, I’ve been considering the idea of a combo meal. I felt so stuffed from the usual fare that I opted for a mix-and-match lunch, which featured a variety of culinary adventures. My plate was full of different cuisines: I had Paneer Pasanda on one side and Hakka Noodles on the other. I also included some stir-fried vegetables rich in umami flavors and loaded up my plate with Chicken Hyderabad Biryani. Not wanting to leave anything out, I even indulged at the raita counter and helped myself to some cucumber raita. It was quite the combo meal, and the delightful effects lasted for a couple of days, inspiring me to experiment with my recipes.
Here’s my combo recipe for Chicken Sukha and Chicken Curry. This recipe saves loads of time in the kitchen—just like it did for me when I prepared a quick meal for a group of bikers on my ride to a friend’s farmhouse yesterday. With one basic masala, you can create two different tasty dishes with distinct flavor profiles. Be sure to check out this unique one-plus-one recipe for chicken!
Prep Time – 20 minutes
Cook time – 40 minutes
Serves – 6
Ingredients:
Chicken ( curry cut ) – 1 kg
Onions – 500 gms
Tomato – 200 gms
Coriander – 1 bunch
Green Chillies – 50 gms
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste – 3 tbsp
Kasuri Methi ( dry fenugreek leaves ) – 2 tbsp
Bay leaf – 1
Groundnut Oil – 150 ml
Salt – to taste
Lime juice – 2 tbsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Spices for roasting:
Whole peppercorns – 1tsp
Cinnamon – 1 small stick (up to 5 gms )
Black Cardamom – 2 pieces
Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chilli – 2 pieces
Dry Coconut – 10 gm
Method:
1 ) Wash and clean Chicken apply a little Turmeric and Ginger-garlic paste and set aside,
2 ) Roast the spices on a Tawa or Pan for a few minutes. Let it cool.
3 ) Grind the onions, tomatoes, green chillies and coriander leaves ( leave aside a few sprigs for garnish ) to a coarse, thick consistency.
4 ) Heat 50 ml Oil and fry the chicken pieces till well browned. While the chicken is frying, Grind the roasted spices and keep aside.
5 ) Once done with the chicken frying, remove half of the chicken quantity and keep aside for curry.
6 ) In the remaining half of the chicken in a pan, add half the roasted spices, 1/2 cup of the onion-tomato paste and bay leaf along with a small quantity of red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt. Mix well. Cover and let it simmer.
7 ) In another pan, heat the remaining Oil, add the remaining onions, tomato, and coriander paste along with ginger-garlic paste, roasted spices and all the remaining spices. Add the Kasuri Methi and 500 ml water. Mix well. Add garam masala. Cover with a lid and let it simmer.
8 ) Check whether the chicken is cooked. Drain water, if any, from the Chicken Sukha. Pour lime juice and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
For the Chicken Curry, garnish with coriander leaves only.
Chicken Curry
Chicken Sukha
