Baking | Smoked Indian Chicken Curry / Dhungaar-e-Dum ka Murgh … giveaway to end 2013

“People close to me called me ‘Curry in a Hurry.’

I was moving through life at 100 miles an hour trying to further my career and be a great mom and make everyone happy.”

Ann Curry

Smoked Indian Chicken Curry / Dhungaar-e-Dum ka Murgh … a simple slow cooked baked Indian chicken curry that makes life on the table seem somewhat easier. I normally cook curries on the stove top. This time was different, and it worked out quite well. Smoking it added a delicious dimension!

I haven’t posted a curry for ages even though I cook them often, including chicken and lamb korma. I’ve recently done a ‘butterless‘ butter chicken and the feedback was great. Mr PAB even commented saying it was better than buttery butter chicken!! At the time I took no pictures as it was still ‘work in progress‘…

Nirlep contacted me and asked if I would like to review any of their products. With a range as varied as Premium Steel Casseroles to a simple sandwich pan, I left it to them. All I asked for was something I could maybe pop into the oven, since I know they do a stove top range. Not that I don’t cook stove top {read I DO ALL THE TIME}, but the baking blog needed a connect!

They sent me a beautiful hard anodized handi, so I grabbed a chicken and set to work. The curry is simple as can be. It’s a simple overnight marination which tenderises the chicken. I cook it on the bone, but you can go boneless too if you like. This time I added green chutney to the marinade, some caramelised onions too. Experiment as you like because you never know what will hit the sweet spot!

As all Indian cooking, this curry works on beautiful ‘andaaz‘, eye balling as it is better known. A bit of this, a dash of that, a few green chillies for flavour, maybe a couple of beautiful red ones too. Mix it all in and marinade straight in the pot, and then throw into a low oven the next day. An hour and a half later, you have CURRY, a nice thick wrapped one!!

OR … heat a little clarified butter in the handi / pan {OK you can use oil}, caramelise some finely sliced onions, pick out the chicken pieces from the marinade and cook over high heat to seal the juices and get the pieces beautifully browned. Add the rest of the marinade, give it a quick gentle stir, seal tightly … into the oven again! Of course you could also cook over a very gentle stove top.

I have a few idea for the handi. A Basque Lamb Stew, kaali dal, stir fried veggies, Thai green curry, kadhi … all in the pipeline. Maybe a little ambitious but pot bread too. It’s quite cold {read freezing} here these days, so as soon as the weather lets up, it’ll be time to bake bread. Have to keep the yeast monsters happy!

What I love about the Nirlep Ebony Handi / anodized pot…

Good quality, feel good pot with a snug lid

The handles don’t get hot

Heavy duty

Convenient ergonomic design which is ideal for sauteing, cooking, heat distribution

That it goes from the stove into the oven, and back with ease

That you can serve right out of it, fuss free!

Easy clean up

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Recipe: Dhungaar-e-Dum ka Murgh

Summary: Simple, smoked, delicious Indian chicken curry that can be baked {or cooked on the stove top}. A do ahead marination ensures very little work just before serving. Serve over steamed rice, naan, etc with a mixed greens salad.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 800g chicken on the bone, without skin,{1 whole} cut into 12 pieces
• 200g full fat yogurt, hung for 30 minutes
• 3 onions, 1 quartered, 2 sliced fine
• 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 1″piece ginger
• 2-3 green chilies {deseed if required}
• 2 tsp garam masala
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste
• 3 tsps green chutney {optional}
• 1 stick cinnamon

1 small bunch fresh coriander, chopped fine

2-3 small red chilies, optional

Dhungaar / Smoke

1 small piece wood coal

3-4 drops melted ghee

Method:

Fry the 2 sliced onions in the ghee until crisp and golden brown.

Grind the quartered onion with ginger, garlic and lime juice to make a smooth paste.

In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt. Mix in the onion paste, caramelised onions, green chilies, red chilies if using, fresh coriander, stick of cinnamon, green chutney and garam masala. Add salt as required {you can taste it at this time to check}. Adjust seasoning if required.

Now mix in the chicken pieces well, turn into handi / casserole/ baking dish, cover tightly and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Place the handi/casserole in a bigger empty metal bowl. Place a tiny metal bowl half filled with water on the lid of the casserole.

Place in oven set at low heat and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Let it sit for a while.

Open and stir gently to get the gravy uniform. Adjust salt if required. Add some more lime juice if you like, maybe some more fresh coriander. Smoke it if desired.

Make a tiny bowl with a aluminium foil. Place a hot burning coal in it and quickly drizzle a few drops of melted ghee/clarified butter over it. The coal will begin smoking immediately. Tightly shut the lid and leave for about half an hour.

Note: Left overs can be deboned and used in wraps {reduce the curry to almost dry}

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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

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