Pakistani Chicken Rezala

Pakistani Chicken Rezala

Pakistani food is very much similar to that of Indian, but in few cuisines the style of cooking and ingredients differ. Like the Rezala in India mostly has a thin gravy, consisting mostly the oil in which it is cooked. But the Pakistani version has a thicker gravy and richer in taste. I always prefer to cook the Pakistani version because the full bodied sauce makes it more yummy. So why not cook Chicken Rezala for the Sunday family dinner and enjoy it with hot and fresh naan (Roasted flat breads).

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time      : 40 minutes
Difficulty              : Easy
Serves                  :  4

Ingredients :

•  1 kg Chicken Cut into 10 / 12 pieces
•  1 medium Onion, 1/2 of it thinly sliced
•  4 Green Chili, (2 sliced)
•  2-3 Garlic cloves
•  1/2 inch Ginger root  (to yield 1/2 tsp in paste)
•  4 tbsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter
•  1 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
•  1/2 cup full creamed Milk
•  1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
•  2 tbsp Sugar (or to taste, the dish is meant to be on the sweet side)
•  1/2 tsp Black Pepper
•  Salt to taste

Method :

1. Prepare the chicken by washing and patting them dry with a paper towel, before chopping them into pieces.

2. In a blender, blend 2 chilies, garlic, ginger and half of the unsliced onion into a puree.

3. In a sealable container, marinate the chicken pieces with the blended paste, garam masala powder, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper, for about 1/2 -1 hour. The longer you marinate the tender the meat gets, I did for about an hour.

4. In a bowl, beat the yogurt with the sugar and set aside.

5. In a heavy base non-stick pan, heat the ghee/ clarified butter till it melts. But be careful to see that it does not burn.

 6. In batches, saute the chicken pieces until cooked through. Make sure your heat is not too high as it will brown up the chicken. Remove and let it rest on a plate.

  7. Add the sliced half of the onion to the pan, and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Saute till translucent.

 8. Add the yogurt mixture and simmer on medium heat for 4-5 min.

 9. Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the milk. When adding the milk, make sure to remove your pan from heat, and then once stirred in properly, return it on the heat. This will stop the milk from cuddling.

9. Add the remaining 2 chilies.

10. Simmer the chicken on low-medium heat for about 25-30 min or until the milk evaporates and the ghee separates to create a thick shiny white gravy.

11. Check the seasonings and adjust if required.

 12. Serve hot with Dry Fruits Pilaf or Naan.