Chicken Vindaloo - Bong Style

Chicken vindaloo is a traditional Goan recipe. However I modified the recipe a bit to give it a Bengali feel by introducing some typical Bong ingredients and omitting some ingredients from the original vindaloo. Kept my fingers crossed as i was wondering about the outcome of this Goan-Bong fusion!! However, the result was mouthwatering (as complimented by my hubby :P :P...and hope you would like it too :):)

Ingredients:

1. chicken - 1 kg cleaned and slightly slitted 

2. onions- 4 medium sized

3. garlic - 2 whole heads

4. ginger - 1 inch piece

5.green chilies - 7 to 10 as per your heat tolerance :P

6. vinegar- 3 tablespoons

7. curd - 4 to 5 tablespoons

8. mustard seeds - 2 teaspoons soaked in water for about 10 mins

9.poppy seeds (posto) - 3 tablespoons soaked in water for about 10 mins

10. cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon

11.turmeric powder - 1/4 th teaspoon optional

12. chili powder - 1 to 2 teaspoons

13. bay leaves - 2 

14. cinnamon - 1 inch

15.green cardamom - 3 to 4

16.dried red chilies - 3 to 4

17. fresh curry leaves

18. oil or/ and ghee as per requirement

19. salt to taste

Method:

1. Take 3 onions and mix them well with ingredients no. 3 to 12 in a blender and make a smoooth marinade.Also add salt to this paste.

2. Mix this paste with the chicken pieces and marinate overnight/ for 8 hours. You can keep it in the fridge.

3. Heat oil/ ghee in a kadhai till smoking. Crush ingredients 13 to 16 coarsely and add them to the heated oil. Saute till they crackle.

4. Now take the 4th onion finely chopped and add to the oil and saute till they are transparent.Also add some curry leaves and saute along with the onion till you feel the smell of curry leaves.

5. Add the marinated chicken and the marinade and keep on stirring till oil separates and the water evaporates.

6. Once you see oil oozing out, add warm water as per your gravy requirement, cover and cook in low flame till the chicken is tender.

 7. Check the seasoning in case you need more salt. Garnish with curry leaves and serve with steaming hot rice or rotis.