Bengali Style Chicken Stew

A very comforting and hearty stew with chicken and veggies using minimum spices was created for Britishers served with buttered toast during British rule in Kolkata, India. Later, Bengali tweaked it adding some aromatics and spices to suit their liking. However, this is not a spice laden stew and it still has an English touch and mostly served with buttered or plain toast. This delicious hearty stew with bone in chicken, fresh veggies need very basic pantry ingredients that comes together in an hour or less. It's a great way to serve protein and veggies together as an one dish meal to the family all year round. This Bengali style Chicken Stew must not be confused with Bengali Chicken Curry which is made with just potatoes and all most same spices but yellowish in color and medium thick spicy gravy.  

I grew up in a small town of suburb and never experienced restaurant food of Kolkata. When friends from Kolkata talked about famous"Chitto Babur Dokan" restaurant in Dacres Lane where this stew was served and how much they missed it, that's how I learned about this stew. Actually my mother used to make very similar chicken or mutton stew with plenty of seasonal veggies with salt and turmeric only for my father as he was very spice intolerant. We called it "ajhala mangsher jhol(non spicy meat/chicken stew)" So first time of making this stew many moons back was a hit. This is the easiest stew that needs no cooking skill at all. The main secret to all Indian chicken curries is to use bone-in chicken instead of bone less and marinating with some spices, salt and souring elements (if recipe requires) at least for 25 minutes to few hours. For this recipe only ginger-garlic paste, ground coriander and salt are used for marinating. This is my take on Bengali Style Chicken Stew. I always steam veggies before adding in the stew. But it can be skipped and veggies can be cooked with the chicken directly.                                                                                                        

Ingredients~

(US customary units)

2 1/2 lb. bone in chicken leg and thigh 

1/2 tsp whole black pepper

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp coriander powder 

1/2 cups chopped onions

2 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 1/2 tsp salt or as per taste

1 cup slightly warm 2% milk

3 tbsp oil

1 bay leaf

2 cardamoms, 2 cloves,1 small cinnamon stick, ground to a smooth garom moshla powder  

2 cups hot water

Veggies~

2 medium potatoes, quartered

8 pieces of quartered raw papaya

2 medium carrots, diced

1 cup green beans

A few whole garlic slightly crushed

Method~

Marinate chicken at least for 25 minutes to 6 hours with half salt, ginger-garlic paste and coriander powder. Steam the veggies and set aside. Heat oil in an heavy bottomed pan and add in bay leaf and whole black pepper followed by the chopped onion. Saute onion until it becomes translucent without changing its color for about 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken, crushed garlic, remaining salt and saute until chicken pieces turn whitish and release water. Continue saute and make sure it is not sticking to bottom of the pan for 6-8 minutes on low heat. Pour hot water and bring it to the boil: then simmer for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is 3/4 cooked. Add in steamed veggies and milk and simmer for 5-6 more minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Sprinkle ground black pepper, garom moshla and give it a good stir. Have a taste test and adjust seasonings. Serve with buttered or plain toasts and lemon wedges. 

Happy Cooking!