BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

    Sometime last year, my son send me a recipe and asked me to make it.  When I looked into the recipe, I was damn sure why he even asked me to make it.  The Chicken Curry had Potatoes in it.  Chicken/Mutton/Beef with Potatoes are liked head down by my hubby & kids.  So went along to make a new recipe - a Bengali Style Chicken Curry, the popular Chicken Kosha. 

    Chicken Kosha is a traditional Bengali way of cooking chicken. It is rated as high on spice level in local terms.  Pondering through the recipe and its history & origin, The word Kosha in Bengali means dry or with a little gravy but mostly quite dry in consistency. It’s a popular dish from a Bengali Kitchen & every Bengali family has their own version of cooking Kosha - may be Chicken/Mutton.  This recipe is the one my son send me and the way I cooked Chicken Kosha.  

    And experts suggests cooking this recipe in an Iron Wok, which brings out the dark colour unique to the authentic Kosha recipes.  But I personally would recommend removing the dish from the wok, once cooked.  Otherwise, the acidity in the Curry can react with the Iron wok giving a metallic taste to the dish, and also it can make the dish go very dark.  I learnt this during my initial days of cooking.  Traditional Kosha recipes and particularly Bengali style of cooking mostly use Mustard Oil.  You can get easy with your preferred Vegetable Oil while cooking this recipe, but Mustard oil gives the authentic flavour to Chicken Kosha.

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Cuisine - Bengal, India
Recipe Type - Curry
Difficulty - Medium
Spice Level - Medium - High
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes
Marinating Time - 1 Hour/Overnight
Cooking Time - 30 - 40 Minutes

 

For more RECIPES WITH CHICKEN, Click here...

 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN KOSHA - BENGALI STYLE SPICY CHICKEN CURRY

BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

INGREDIENTS:

To Marinate the Chicken:

Chicken - 1 Kg
Onion - 2 Nos.
Garlic - 7-8 Cloves 
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 11/2 Teaspoons
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Oil - 1 -2  Tablespoons

For Chicken Kosha:

Oil - 1/4 Cup
Potato - 4-5 
Bay Leaf - 2 Leaves
Dry Red Chillies - 2-3 Nos.
Green Cardamoms - 4-5 Pods
Onions - 2 Nos.
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tablespoons
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder - 11/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Powder - 11/2 Tablespoon
Cumin Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Tomato - 1 No.(Large)
Green Chillies - 4-5 Nos.
Black Pepper Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Lemon Juice - 1 Teaspoon
Sugar - 1 Teaspoon

 

METHOD:

To Marinate the Chicken:

• Clean, Wash & cut the chicken into medium-sized pieces.  Wash them thoroughly and allow it to drain through a colander.
• Heat oil in a pan and sauté 2 finely sliced Onions along with  a dash of Salt on a medium-low flame.
• Slightly crush the Garlic Pods and add it along with the Onions and fry them on a medium-low flame until Onions turn into rich brown colour.
• Adding salt while sautéing the Onions helps in speeding up the browning process.
• Care should be taken not to burn the onions, which can make the dish bitter.
  
• Once, the Onions turn into golden brown, remove it from the pan and allow it to cool down.
• Now, marinate the Chicken Pieces with a dash of Salt, Kashmiri Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Powder, fried Onions & Garlic and Lemon Juice.
• Mix well until well combined and keep it aside for about an hour or overnight.

BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

 For Chicken Kosha:

• Peel, wash and cut Potatoes into large Cubes.
• Leave the Cubed Potatoes in salted water until use.  Drain off any excess water before adding it into the hot oil.  
  
• Heat 1/4 Cup of Oil in a wok and deep-fry the Potatoes(a small batch at a time).
• Fry the Potato Cubes until golden brown and keep them aside.
• In the remaining Oil, add Bay Leaves, Green Cardamoms & Dry Red Chillies(snapped into 2 or 3 pieces). 
• Fry the spices on a very low flame until fragrant.
• Add finely sliced Onions and sauté it on a medium-low flame until it turns into golden brown.
• Now, add Ginger Garlic Paste and fry this on a low flame until the raw flavour goes.
• Then add, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder & Cumin Powder and give a quick stir.  Fry this on a low flame for a few minutes.
• Then add finely chopped Tomato and cook this on a low flame until the tomato turns soft & cooked.
• Sprinkle some water if needed at this stage & Cook this Masala on a low flame for a few minutes until oil separates from the mix. 
• Now add the marinated Chicken Pieces to the Kosha Masala along with Green Chillies slit into two.
• Add about 1/2 cup of hot water to the above and mix well.
  
• Cover & cook on a low flame until the Chicken pieces turn soft and cooked, stirring occasionally.
• Once the chicken is cooked, add the fried Potatoes,  sprinkle some Pepper Powder and cook this on a low flame for a few minutes until the potatoes are well coated with the Kosha Masala.
• Adjust the amount of Salt at this stage, add Sugar and leave the Chicken Kosha on a low flame until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Chicken Kosha is a slightly dry gravy like Curry.  Adjust to your preference.
• Once the Chicken is well done, switch off the flame and keep it covered for a few more minutes on the stove top.
• Serve Chicken Kosha hot, with Roti, Naan, Paratha, Chapati, Kulcha, Batura, Puri, Luchi, Parotta.
• Goes well with White Rice or or with steamed Basmati Rice. It can also be served along with with Rice Dishes, Biriyanis & Pulaos, Kichadi etc.,
  

 

BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

NOTES:

• Can use any type of vegetable oil for the recipe. Mustard Oil gives an authentic flavour to the dish.
• Slow cooking enhances the flavour of the dish.
• Adding Kashmiri Chilli powder gives a vibrant colour with a red hue in the gravy.
• Kashmiri Chilli Powders are less spicy but have a bright red colour.
• If Kashmiri Chilli Powder is not available, use normal Dry Chilli Powder, but adjust the amount to suit your spice level.
• Can use Red food colouring to do the job, if preferred - which I would suggest not to... 
• While frying the onion slices for marinating, care should be taken not to burn them, which will totally spoil the taste of this dish.
  
• The true flavour of Chicken Kosha comes from the intense flavours of spices & mustard oil.
• Adding Sugar is purely optional, but helps to balance the overall taste notes in this Curry.

      Vegetable Cutlet - A quick fix Party Dish, a humble snack, an irresistible starter.  Cutlets have always been a quintessential dish of every special occasion in our family.  This crisply delicious and sinfully satisfying starter is always on our family menu, no matter what occasion or festival it marks for. But every time it comes up with different ingredient though, sometimes with Chicken, Lamb or Beef and maybe simply with vegetables for a total vegetarian option. 

 
    Vegetable Cutlet/Croquettes is an easy add-on at a party menu.  These cutlets are usually prepared with finely chopped classic vegetables like Carrots, Beetroots, Beans, Green Peas and Potatoes, coated with homemade bread crumbs for a crispy crust. Potato act as a binder in this recipe.  Even we can add a combination of vegetables like  Carrots, Green Peas,  Beans, Cauliflower, Beetroot etc., to this Vegetable Cutlets. These Cutlets can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer for up to a month.

VEGETABLE CUTLET

    Vegetable Cutlet is something we like the most at home rather than its non-vegetarian counterparts.  And I have a soft-corner for this Vegetable cutlet, because it was one of the first of its kind delicacy I had as an outside food(only next to Chicken Biriyani) when I was a kid.  It is never or seldom that we eat at a restaurant. I happened to eat this at a driveway restaurant near  VOC Park in Coimbatore.  I am talking about sometime in late 70s that was when I was accompanied by my Dad and his friend to the Nehru Stadium to watch a football match and happened to eat Vegetable Cutlets during that visit.  As far as my memory goes they used to serve two pieces of Vegetable Cutlets in a plate with Ketchup and Slices of Carrot, Onion and Beetroot.  Memories!!!

    Since then, Cutlets have always been one of my favourite snack. Serve Vegetable Cutlet as a starter or as a Tea-time Snack with a dipping sauce of your choice. Serve the Vegetable Cutlets with thinly sliced Onions, Carrots etc., along with a dash of Tomato Ketchup or Red-Chilli Sauce to add a zing to the croquettes. You can even slide it up into a Bun along with your choice of add-ons and convert it into a Burger.


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Cuisine - Indian (Kerala, South India)
Course - Appetizer / Starter
Spice Level  - Low
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 20 Cutlets
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes


    
For a detailed Recipe on HOW TO MAKE BREAD CRUMBS, Click here...

HOW TO COOK VEGETABLE CUTLET/CROQUETTES

VEGETABLE CUTLET

For Vegetable Cutlet Patties:

To Sauté:

For the Crust : 

For Deep Frying:

METHOD:

• Clean, peel and then finely chop/grate the Carrots & Beetroots.
• Shred the Cabbage and chop it finely.
• Clean and remove the veins from the beans and chop it finely.  
• Boil the Potatoes, peel, mash and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, sauté finely chopped Onions, Garlic, Ginger and Garlic cloves until onions turn translucent.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and Garam Masala to the above and fry for a while on a low flame until fragrant.
• Add finely chopped Carrots, Beetroots, Beans, Cabbage and Green Peas along with a dash of Salt, Pepper Powder and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame until the vegetables turns soft & cooked. 
• Sprinkle some water if necessary at this stage. 
• Make sure the mixture is dry once the vegetables are cooked.
• Sprinkle finely chopped Mint and Coriander Leaves and give a quick stir.
• Switch off the flame and add mashed Potatoes to the vegetable mix.
• Mix it well with your hands until well combined. 
• Shape it into small balls and flatten them at the centres into round/oval-shaped patties with your palms(make sure there are no cracks).
• Meanwhile, beat eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
• Spread Bread Crumbs on a large plate. 
• Dip the Vegetable Cutlet patties in the egg mix first.
• Then dredge them in Bread Crumbs, make sure that the patties are evenly coated with bread crumbs on all sides.
• Heat oil in a deep pan until they reach the smoky point.
• Lower the flame to medium-high and deep-fry the Vegetable Cutlets in batches.
• Do not overcrowd the oil pan.
• Flip & fry the Vegetable Cutlet patties until crisp and golden brown. 
• Remove it from oil with a slotted spoon, and line the Vegetable Cutlets on a paper towel.
• Serve Vegetable Cutlet hot with any dipping sauce of your choice.
  

KALA JAMUN

 

EGG & GREEN PEAS MASALA

    Green Peas Curry a.k.a Pattani Curry is one most frequented Curry in our house.  One reason being, it's my Son's favourite Curry.  Whenever I make this curry my husband says that he gets a similar curry in Greenland Hotel near his College(PSG Tech), but the curry served would have boiled Eggs in it.  He always laments saying that, he has never got enough of this combo - Parotta and Green Peas Masala.  The moment the food is ordered, & there it vanishes off, shared by his friends.  But has never felt the pinch then, happy old days. 

    A delicious curry prepared with fresh Green Peas & boiled Eggs in an Onion and Tomato gravy.  This is an easy restaurant style Curry which can be incorporated within no time. Egg & Green Peas Masala is a popular restaurant style dish which can be served with Rotis, Parathas, Naan, Kulcha or simply serve it along with Steamed Basmati Rice, Pulaos, Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice etc.,    

    Green Peas & Egg Masala is a tasty treat rich with flavours. This Curry compliments as a party menu for Vegetarian lovers.  To make this Green Peas Masala recipe richer and flavour filled, add ground Cashew Paste and fresh Cream.

For more RECIPES WITH GREEN PEAS, Click here...

Cuisine - North Indian
Course - Side Dish
Difficulty - Medium
Spice Level - Low- Medium
Serves - 3-4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 25-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes

For a detailed recipe on HOW TO BOIL EGGS, Click here.... 

 

HOW TO MAKE EGG & GREEN PEAS MASALA

EGG & GREEN PEAS MASALA

Madurai Mutton Chukka Varuval