Rajasthani Chicken Stew

A hearty, flavourful North Indian-style stew, special recipe from Chef Rishi’s mum

Prep: 10 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

With parents hailing from Punjab and Rajasthan, growing up, our Head of Research and Development-walla, Chef Rishi Anand had access to the flavourful foods from both states. “One of the reasons I am a chef today is because of my mum’s food and my dad’s love for food. Both of them loved to cook and, importantly, they loved to feed mouth-watering dishes to those around them”, he says.

Although a vast array of food came out of his family kitchen every day, he recounts his all-time favourite as his mother’s Rajasthani-style Chicken Stew. “When you hear Chicken Stew, you instantly think about South India and coconut milk and curry leaves. However, my mother’s stew is different. It’s a reflection of how people from parts of North India make this dish.” It’s rustic, homely, simple and pot-full of flavour.

Ingredients

2 servings

4 tbsp cooking oil

2 cloves

1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed

0.5 tsp whole cumin

5 black peppercorn

2 bay leaf

1 black cardamom

1 Small stick of cinnamon

3 whole dry red chillies

1 large red onion, roughly chopped

10 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped

50 g ginger, julienned

0.5 tsp deggi mirch chilli powder

0.5 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

450 g tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 kg bone-in chicken, cut into small pieces (can use boneless chicken thighs, if preferred)

100 g natural yoghurt

3 fresh green chillies (add depending on level of spice)

METHOD

Step 1

Heat the oil in a karahi, or another heavy-bottom pan, at medium heat.

Step 2

Add the cloves, coriander seeds, whole cumin, black peppercorn, bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon and dry red chillies. Cook until it starts to crackle.

Step 3

Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook until light brown.

Step 4

Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Step 5

Add the tomatoes and cook until the spices leave the oil in the pan.

Step 6

Mix the chicken together with the yoghurt and then add it to the pan along with the fresh green chillies.

Step 7

Stir nicely to mix with the masala and bhuno (cook on medium–high while stirring continuously) until the chicken is nicely seared.

Step 8

Turn the heat down to medium and keep stirring until the chicken is nicely cooked and covered with the spices.

Step 9

Garnish with chopped coriander before serving with buttery naan, chapati or rice.

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