Chicken Rezala

Build the Meal Around Chicken Rezala

• Plain pulao
• Luchi or naan
• Cucumber salad
• Mint chutney

How to Make Chicken Rezala

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1. Soak the cashews and poppy seeds in hot water for 15 minutes, then blend with 3 tablespoons of water to a smooth paste.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan. Add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon for 20 seconds, then the onions. Cook over a low heat for 8 minutes until soft but not coloured.

   Mark done

3. Add the ginger and garlic paste and the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, turning, without browning.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

4. Add the yoghurt a spoonful at a time, then the nut paste, chillies, pepper, salt, sugar and water.

   Mark done

5. Cover and simmer very gently for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick. Stir in the kewra water.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

A Few Notes

Use white pepper and white poppy seeds, not black, to keep the sauce pale.

Do not let the sauce boil hard.

Add the kewra water off the heat so the scent is not lost.

Swaps and Variations

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Storing and Reheating

Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat gently over a low heat.

Questions and Answers

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: weights that include bone are counted as if all of it were eaten, so the figures run high. How the figures are worked out.