Chicken rezala is a restaurant classic in all Bengali restaurants across India and holds a very special place in our heart! Chicken rezala is one of the most loved and hence most ordered dishes in restaurants and rightfully so!
Chicken rezala is a very popular chicken curry recipe from my very own Bengali cuisine! I am very sure you must have seen and tasted chicken rezala in many of authentic Bengali restaurants’ menu and I bet you loved it!
Chicken rezala is a magical dish which has the power to boost your mood if you are feeling low and instantly bring smile on your face. Trust me on this, this is not just any other chicken curry but a truly luxurious affair!
Chicken rezala has its origin in Mughlai era and is an extremely flavorful dish with very delicate yet mind-blowing aroma. It has the signature white gravy unlike other Indian chicken curries which is typically red or yellow.
The gravy base of chicken rezala is a smooth paste made of poppy seeds (aka posto in Bengali and khus khus in Hindi) and raw cashew nuts which adds immense flavor and richness to the gravy without any addition of cream.
Posto or poppy seeds are widely used in Bengali cuisine. You can check out my favorite aloo posto recipe which is a quintessential Bengali dish and make its appearance at least weekly once on our dinner table.
Cashew nuts add creaminess as well as a nutty sweetness which is so unique that you can’t replicate this with anything else. Make sure to soak the cashews and poppy seeds before grinding as it will be easier to blend them once soaked.
Chicken rezala is heavy on aromatics like ginger, garlic and onion. You will need to marinade the chicken with each of the aromatics and also add them additionally while making the gravy. All these will create the base of chicken rezala gravy and finally you will end up with one of the richest & tastiest chicken curries.
Use medium pieces of chicken for making this Mughlai chicken curry. Use as much fresh chicken as possible for making this chicken rezala gravy. Once you serve this to your family & friends, they won’t ever stop praising your culinary skill, trust me on this!
I suggest to serve the flavorful chicken rezala with plain white Basmati rice; at the same time it also pairs well with a vegetable pulao. Chicken rezala has a subtle undertone of richness thanks to the whole spices which captures your senses when you devour it, be it with plain rice or pulao.
With the holiday season being just round the corner, these classic restaurant style recipes will come in handy to recreate restaurant-like menu and ambience right inside your home without any compromise! More coming your way; so stay tuned! Enjoy!
- Chicken – 1 kg, skinless and curry cut into medium to small pieces
- Curd/yogurt – 1 cup
- Ginger paste – 1 tsp
- Garlic paste – 1 tsp
- Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
- Onion paste – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Ghee/clarified butter – 2 tbsp
- Vegetable/sunflower oil – 4 tbsp
- Bay leaf/tej pattta – 2
- Green cardamom – 3 to 4
- Cloves – 5 to 6
- Cinnamon stick – 2 inch piece
- Black peppercorns – 10 to 12
- Dry red chillies – 2, split
- Onion – 3, large, ground to a smooth paste without water
- Garlic paste – 1 tsp
- Ginger paste – 1 tsp
- Green chillies – 4, slit lengthwise
- Cumin powder – 1 tsp
- Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
- Poppy seeds/khus khus/posto dana – 1 tbsp, soaked in water for 15 mins
- Cashew nuts – 1 tbsp, raw, soaked in water for 15 mins
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Kewra water/screwpine essence – 1 tsp
- Saffron strands – 10 to 15
- Wash the chicken thoroughly and drain out all the water completely. Take the chicken in a large bowl and add all the ingredients listed under marinade to the same bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with the chicken so that all aromatics like ginger, garlic & onion pastes are mixed evenly and all pieces of chicken are coated on all sides. Set it aside for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Meanwhile, drain the water out from poppy seeds and cashew nuts and grind them together to make a smooth paste. You may add a little water to grind them smoothly.
- After about an hour, heat a large frying pan and add 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken pieces but without the marinating liquid. We are only searing the chicken in this step to develop the flavor, so any extra liquid will prevent from proper searing. Lift one chicken pieces at a time and let the extra liquid drip off, then add the chicken to the hot oil. Do NOT discard the marinating liquid.
- Sauté the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side on medium heat until beautiful golden brown color is developed on each side. Take them out on a plate and set aside until needed.
- Now heat a large kadai or wok. Once hot, add the left over oil from the frying pan in which you sautéed the chicken, that is a flavor powerhouse!
- Also add the ghee to the wok and let it warm up. Then temper the ghee with bay leaves, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick, black pepper corn and dry red chillies. Sauté them for couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Now add the onion paste and sauté them on medium flame for 15 minutes until the onion paste changes the color a little.
- Next add ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilies and mix everything well. Let the ginger & garlic pastes cook until raw smell is gone.
- Then add cumin powder, black pepper powder and the poppy seed & cashew nut paste which you had prepared earlier. Give everything a good mix and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Now add the seared chicken pieces along with all the accumulated juice on the plate to the kadai. Stir well to mix the chicken with the gravy base.
- Continue to cook the chicken on medium flame for 15 more minutes until oil starts to release. Now add the marinating liquid which are left from chicken along with 1 cup of water.
- Add sugar and season with salt to taste. Mix everything well and bring the gravy to a boil. Then lower the heat and cover the wok to simmer the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Once the chicken in completely cooked, check the consistency of the gravy. If it’s too thick add little more water and bring to boil; if it’s too watery, then boil off excess liquid keeping the flame on high. Check and adjust for seasoning if needed.
- Finally add garam masala, saffron strands and kewra water and give a final mix. Switch off the flame, cover the wok and let the curry sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- Your luxurious chicken rezala is ready to serve! Devour it with plain white rice or your favorite veg pulao. Enjoy!
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