Cholar Daal Murgi (Chicken cooked with Bengal Gram Lentils) By Diganta Chakraborty

 

This dish was curated by great grandmother for the grandson of Indian Literary Enigma Shri BankimChandra Chattopadhyay’s grandson and his French Wife. The dish has a firm bite of daal which helps the dish to have a crunch and give different taste to otherwise Bengali’s famous Daal.

— Diganta Chakraborty

 

 

Diganta Chakraborty is an alumnus of IHM Mumbai or Dadar Catering College, home to the culinary maestros of India and Michelin star chefs. He received the Western Indian Culinary Association Student Chef of the year 2016 and Nestle Young Chef 2017 for his acclaimed love for native Bengali food and glorifying its value. He loves revisiting old recipes from his family and his community and encourages the use of indigenous products in cooking.

 

 

Ingredients – 

(1 teaspoon – 5 g; 1 tablespoon – 15 g)

  • Chicken curry cut – 1kg
  • Cholar Dal-  300gm
  • Mustard oil- 100ml
  • Turmeric Powder – 10g
  • Red Chilli Powder – 15g
  • Cumin powder – 30g
  • Coriander powder – 30g
  • Cinnamon stick- 2-3no
  • Cloves – 5-6 no
  • Garam Masala – 15g
  • Whole cumin seeds- 10g
  • Onion- 3 nos.
  • Ginger Garlic Paste- 15g
  • Butter – 50gm
  • Fresh Tomato Puree- 2 full tomatoes.
  • Dry Red Chilli – 3 nos
  • Green Chilli – 4nos
  • Black salt- 10g
  • Tamarind water- 20ml
  • Jaggery melted- 20 gm

 

Method – 

  • Soak Cholar Daal and keep it overnight.
  • Heat mustard oil in a pan,add cinnamon stick, cloves and whole jeera followed by add finely sliced onion.
  • Sauté the onions till it turns golden brown in colour, add ginger garlic paste.Add chopped dry red chilli and green chillies.
  • Cook the ginger garlic paste to remove the rawness followed by the Cholar Dal. Keep high flame.
  • Fry the Cholar Dal along with the onion and the whole spices till the colour turns golden brown and smells like roasted Dal.
  • Add a splash of water to cook the Dal with steam slowly.
  • Add all the powdered spices to it and continue to stir the pan well while adding splashes of water to cook the masala and the Daal slowly.Add black salt and normal salt for seasoning.
  • Now add tomato paste and keep on stirring till you see the oil separating from the masala- the rogan coming out.Add the butter now.
  • Add the chicken pieces at a high flame and sear it well, keep on stirring while adding splashes of hot water to it.
  • The hot water cooks the dal slowly while keeping a bite to the dal. Remember the dal should not be mushy and should have firm texture to it.
  • Add tamarind water along with jaggery and add sufficient hot water and put a lid to allow the dal to cook. Cook for 10 mins.
  • Once there is a little bite to the dal, reduce water and stir it well, let it turn into a thick dry consistency.Adjust seasoning.
  • Serve hot with paranthas or Roti.