kalpana’s la cucina..... spice 4 all seasons: SAOJI CHICKEN CURRY

_________________I am Mrs. Kalpana Mhaske, a Home-Maker, from the city of 52-Gates, one of the famous heritage- destination of the world- Ajanta - Ellora Caves, Bibi-Ka- Maqbara (The Taj of Deccan) and Deogiri Fort. i.e. AURANGABAD. I admire cooking - tryout and innovate different cuisines. Basically, both of my gorgeous daughters are foodie, they have always encouraged me in the kitchen and forced to carve a Food Blog, that’s why, I am happy to share the makings with you. I am an artist too. Painting – especially, Canvas-Painting is my one more hobby. In total - Ours is an ART-FAMILY, my husband is an Architect. In the end, I keep the same belief with Louise Fresco - “ Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It's not about nutrients and calories. It's about sharing. It’s about honesty. it’s about identity ”

Friday 16 July 2021

SAOJI CHICKEN CURRY

Saoji Chicken Curry is a traditional and very spicy and flavourful dish from Nagpur, Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra. If you have been in these place you would have definitely come across Saoji Khanavali or Saoji Hotels that serve jowar roti with this spicy, aromatic and very delicious curry. The spice levels in this curry is quite high. The stuff burns inside out, but it is worth trying. Saoji curry is made with a freshly ground masala powder prepared with dry red chillies, few whole spices, dry coconut and special ingredient ' Jowar / Sorghum Flour'. If you have the masala powder handy it will take less than 30 minutes to prepare the chicken curry. Learn how to make this simple and easy method of Saoji Chicken Curry at home and share your feedbacks.

INGREDIENTS:

500 grams Chicken pieces

4-5 medium sized Onions, sliced

1/2 cup Dry Desiccated Coconut

2 tablespoon Coriander Seeds

2 tablespoon Ginger-garlic Paste

8-10 whole Red Chillies

2 tablespoon Caraway Seeds

1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds

20 Black Peppercorn

3-4 Green Cardamom

4-5 Black Cardamom

4-5 Bay Leaves

1-2 Mace

1 tablespoon Stone Flower (Dagad Phool)

1 inch stick of Cinnamon

1 tablespoon Sorghum flour

Salt as per taste

4-6 Cloves

Oil

For Marination:

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt

METHOD:

STEP 1 - Wash the chicken pieces under running water.

Remove water and add turmeric powder and salt in it and mix well. Keep this for 1/2 an hour.

STEP 2 - By that time, heat a non-stick pan with oil and add sliced onion in it. Roast it well golden brown stirring it time-to-time. Keep it aside.

STEP 3 - Now in the same pan, add 1 teaspoon oil, add cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, black peppercorn, dagad phool in it. Saute it for 1-2 minutes.

STEP 4 - Then add coriander seeds, caraway seeds in it and saute well and roast for another 1-2 minutes on low flame.

STEP 5 - After that add desiccated coconut and khus-khus in it and roast it well. Once the garam masala starts emitting an aroma, switch off the flame.

STEP 6 - Lastly, roast dry chillies with a teaspoonful oil. Remove it and cool down the roasted garam masala/sliced to room temperature.

Transfer the roasted whole spices on a plate and let it cool down.

STEP 7 - Roast Sorghum flour for few minutes, cool it

and then add it to the whole spices and transfer it to a mixer grinder. Grind all these ingredients to a fine paste. Remove it from the mixer jar.

STEP 8 - Now make a fine paste of roasted onion

STEP 9 - Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add chicken pieces in it and saute the chicken till golden brown on high flame.

Then add ginger-garlic paste in it and mix well and cook till the raw smell goes away.

STEP 10 - Add the fine onion paste in the cooker, saute well then add the fine ground paste of roasted garam masala with salt. Mix well and then saute well for 3-4 minutes. Season it with salt.