Chicken Kasha - Bong style!

Chicken Kasha 

Hello everyone! I am again back with my next recipe post. Today’s post is about my signature dish – a simple yet spicy – CHICKEN KASHA (bong style). My chicken kasha recipe uses little bit of extra oil, extra chilli and loads of love. I can proudly say that this recipe is my signature dish because, I got certificate from the food-proficient in my family – My eldest uncle. He is one of the best chefs in my family. Chicken is my favourite and this chicken kasha recipe is my family’s favourite. I feel nostalgic every time I cook the chicken kasha recipe. There is a story attached to this chicken kasha dish. 

When my mother was a little girl, my grand ma did not allow any kind of meat inside the home as she was sceptical of eating any meat. So whenever my rest of the family wanted to eat chicken or mutton my grand pa would cook himself outside the home on the “wood-fire”. Grand pa used to marinade the chicken with masala over the wood- fire which used to add a distinct flavour and taste to the chicken dish. They used banana leaves instead of the plates to eat chicken with steamed rice. I can only imagine the whole scene. My mother said that was the best chicken kasha dish she had ever had in her entire life. 

Few years back in a winter, on a chilled yet sunny day when I myself cooked the chicken kasha using my recipe over the wood-fire in our backyard  and served it with rice, my mother said that “amar babu jerakam chicken ranna korto, aj tor chicken er taste o thik serakam hoyeche”. That means “when my father used to cook chicken, that taste resembles to the chicken you cooked today”. This was the best complement I have ever had. So whenever it comes to chicken kasha may be it is in my uncle’s house or my maternal grand ma’s home, now I am always handed over with the responsibility of preparation of the dish.

Now let’s start with the recipe.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1. Chicken 500 gm, cut into medium pieces

2. Onion 3 medium, 1 finely chopped, 2 made into paste

3. Tomato 1 medium, half chopped, half made into paste

4. Ginger 4” piece, paste

5. Garlic 10-15 cloves, paste

6. Green chilli 6-8, paste

7. Turmeric powder 2 teaspoon

8. Red chilli powder 3 teaspoon

9. Cardamom 2-3, crushed

10. Cinnamon 2 sticks, crushed

11. Bay leaves 1-2

12. Water 1 cup, boiled

13. Salt

14. Sugar ½ teaspoon

15. Mustard oil 5  table spoon

Method:

1. Wash the chicken, marinate with salt and set aside.

2. Heat oil in pan.

3. Add bay leaves.

4. Add garam masala.

5. Now add onion slices and stir  well.

6. When the onion is changed in colour add the tomato chopped.

7. When tomato and onion is almost mushy add the chicken pieces and fry well for 10 minutes.

8. When the chicken pieces have changed its colour lower the heat and add the onion, ginger, garlic, tomato paste. Stir well.

9. Now add turmeric and salt. Stir well.

10. Now add red chilli powder and mix very well.

11. This is the time when you have to stir really well. In Bengali it’s called “Koshano”.

12. For next 20-30 minutes lower the heat, keep stirring the chicken with all spices and when it’s needed pour 1-2 table spoon water and stir well. 

Do not pour the water all at a time. It will spoil the taste.

13. Keep repeating step 12 until the chicken pieces are cooked really well.

14. Finally check the seasoning. 

15. Your chicken kasha is ready.

 Serve with steamed rice, Pulao, Biryani, or Bengali style Luchi.

Chicken Kasha 

This chicken kasha goes very well with Luchi. Serve your guests with this chicken kasha , luchi and salad along with some Rosogolla.

Chicken Kasha

Chicken Kasha 

It will definitely quench thirst for some lip smacking breakfast or dinner.
Thank you for stopping by.
XOXO
Kasturi