Smoked Indian Chicken Curry / Dhungaar-e-Dum ka Murgh … giveaway to end 2013
“People close to me called me ‘Curry in a Hurry.’
I was moving through life at 100 miles an hour trying to further my career and be a great mom and make everyone happy.”
Ann Curry
Smoked Indian Chicken Curry / Dhungaar-e-Dum ka Murgh … a simple slow cooked baked Indian chicken curry that makes life on the table seem somewhat easier. I normally cook curries on the stove top. This time was different, and it worked out quite well. Smoking it added a delicious dimension!
I haven’t posted a curry for ages even though I cook them often, including chicken and lamb korma. I’ve recently done a ‘butterless‘ butter chicken and the feedback was great. Mr PAB even commented saying it was better than buttery butter chicken!! At the time I took no pictures as it was still ‘work in progress‘…
Nirlep contacted me and asked if I would like to review any of their products. With a range as varied as Premium Steel Casseroles to a simple sandwich pan, I left it to them. All I asked for was something I could maybe pop into the oven, since I know they do a stove top range. Not that I don’t cook stove top {read I DO ALL THE TIME}, but the baking blog needed a connect!
They sent me a beautiful hard anodized handi, so I grabbed a chicken and set to work. The curry is simple as can be. It’s a simple overnight marination which tenderises the chicken. I cook it on the bone, but you can go boneless too if you like. This time I added green chutney to the marinade, some caramelised onions too. Experiment as you like because you never know what will hit the sweet spot!
As all Indian cooking, this curry works on beautiful ‘andaaz‘, eye balling as it is better known. A bit of this, a dash of that, a few green chillies for flavour, maybe a couple of beautiful red ones too. Mix it all in and marinade straight in the pot, and then throw into a low oven the next day. An hour and a half later, you have CURRY, a nice thick wrapped one!!
OR … heat a little clarified butter in the handi / pan {OK you can use oil}, caramelise some finely sliced onions, pick out the chicken pieces from the marinade and cook over high heat to seal the juices and get the pieces beautifully browned. Add the rest of the marinade, give it a quick gentle stir, seal tightly … into the oven again! Of course you could also cook over a very gentle stove top.
I have a few idea for the handi. A Basque Lamb Stew, kaali dal, stir fried veggies, Thai green curry, kadhi … all in the pipeline. Maybe a little ambitious but pot bread too. It’s quite cold {read freezing} here these days, so as soon as the weather lets up, it’ll be time to bake bread. Have to keep the yeast monsters happy!
What I love about the Nirlep Ebony Handi / anodized pot…
- Good quality, feel good pot with a snug lid
- The handles don’t get hot
- Heavy duty
- Convenient ergonomic design which is ideal for sauteing, cooking, heat distribution
- That it goes from the stove into the oven, and back with ease
- That you can serve right out of it, fuss free!
- Easy clean up
So tell me dear readers, what would you make if you had a pot / handi like this? Nirlep will be happy to giveaway a similar pot to a reader of my blog. Additionally, I will add a cookbook from one of my favourite Indian authors and chef Vikas Khanna. He’s a large-hearted, fun, talented guy who is passionate about what he does. I love ‘My Great India Cookbook‘ {one of his 3 cookbooks ranked #1 in India by Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2013}. I figured you might love it too, so I am including it in the giveaway. The giveaway is open to anyone who has an Indian postal address and loves to cook/bake of course!! {Entries close on the 15th Jan 2014}
Summary: Simple, smoked, delicious Indian chicken curry that can be baked {or cooked on the stove top}. A do ahead marination ensures very little work just before serving. Serve over steamed rice, naan, etc with a mixed greens salad.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 800g chicken on the bone, without skin,{1 whole} cut into 12 pieces
- 200g full fat yogurt, hung for 30 minutes
- 3 onions, 1 quartered, 2 sliced fine
- 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1″piece ginger
- 2-3 green chilies {deseed if required}
- 2 tsp garam masala
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
- 3 tsps green chutney {optional}
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander, chopped fine
- 2-3 small red chilies, optional
- Dhungaar / Smoke
- 1 small piece wood coal
- 3-4 drops melted ghee
Method:
- Fry the 2 sliced onions in the ghee until crisp and golden brown.
- Grind the quartered onion with ginger, garlic and lime juice to make a smooth paste.
- In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt. Mix in the onion paste, caramelised onions, green chilies, red chilies if using, fresh coriander, stick of cinnamon, green chutney and garam masala. Add salt as required {you can taste it at this time to check}. Adjust seasoning if required.
- Now mix in the chicken pieces well, turn into handi / casserole/ baking dish, cover tightly and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours, preferably overnight.
- Place the handi/casserole in a bigger empty metal bowl. Place a tiny metal bowl half filled with water on the lid of the casserole.
- Place in oven set at low heat and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Let it sit for a while.
- Open and stir gently to get the gravy uniform. Adjust salt if required. Add some more lime juice if you like, maybe some more fresh coriander. Smoke it if desired.
- Make a tiny bowl with a aluminium foil. Place a hot burning coal in it and quickly drizzle a few drops of melted ghee/clarified butter over it. The coal will begin smoking immediately. Tightly shut the lid and leave for about half an hour.
- Note: Left overs can be deboned and used in wraps {reduce the curry to almost dry}
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Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
41 Comments
D'Cunha
Would live to experiment with a dum biryani and an overnight slow-baked black dal
Usha
I would try dum biryani.
Swapna
I too make a similar smoked chicken and have posted it in my blog long back. I will try that chicken, baked fish masala and biriyani 🙂
Vimitha
It has to be dum biryani… That curry looks droolicious.
Rosa
A wonderful pot and mouthwatering curry! I bet this dish tastes amazing.
Cheers,
Rosa
Simi
Thanks for the recipe Deeba! I would try a slow cooked lamb/mutton curry, which would be much easier to do in the oven than on the stove top I think.
Shruti Nirkhe
Ahh. That’s a nice pot to cook in. I would love to make dalmakhni in it and rabdi/ basundi would be my go to dessert to cook in it.
Very good post as always. Look forward to new posts every time I am online.
Wish you all a very happy new year….
Cheers,
Shruti
Shipra
love it !!! awesome recipe i cannot wait to try
living is states so I hardly get to hear about indian cook pots .. this one seems great and i will look to buy one to
make biryani ..
reeta
That looks sizzling hot! Would make kashmiri dum aloo in that anodized handi if I get it and some dum biryani to go along with it!
Nidhi
Hi Deeba,
Very good looking handi. To top it, your good looking blog makes it all the more desirable. If I had a handi like this, I would make your recipe – gosht kali mirch ( and would serve the dish directly from the oven.
Nidhi
Sapana
Very soothing and delicious slow cooked curry indeed !!
I would love to make Hyderabadi Veg Biryani if I won that gorgeous Handi.
Regards
Sapana
Pratibha
Your recipe looks awesome! I’ll ring in the new year with it! What I would like to cook?My list is endless actually and I cannot decide if I want to to cook the lip smacking chawal ka kheer, a recipe that my mom in law taught me, the slow cooked lamb curry that my mommy taught me or the layered chicken biryani that my kids love to eat! It is a tough choice, but if I win this handi, I am sure more recipes will be tried out. And you add a cookbook by the super awesome chef Vikas Khanna? Sone pe suhaga!
Nehal
I want to prepare yummie Undhiyu (Gujju winter dish) in Nirlep Handi!!! 🙂
Hina
Warming, hearty and always satisfying, slow cooked stews are perfect cold weather food, a stew is comfort food of the first order.
I would like to cook Moroccan Style Lamb with Couscous in this Nirlep Handi. This sweet but slightly spicy stew stew is served on a bed of couscous. Lamb cooked in marsala of onion, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, squash and lot of aromatic Mediterranean spices, covered and simmered over flame on low heat for about 45 – 50 minutes stirring occasionally or for a baking lover like you the whole Nirlep Handi can be popped into the oven and let the lamb and vegetable get cooked until soft and juicy.
This stew can be relished over the bed of couscous or with hunks of bread for sopping up all the flavorful juices.
Thanks,
Hina
bellini
It looks so flavourful and delicious Deeba. I also like the twist to the baking theme..as long as it is baked in the oven.
Shruta
I would love to try this Recipe: Dhungaar-e-Dum ka Murgh, if I owned a Handi like this. As I have never tried cooking Dum in my ordinary pots and pans, would certainly love to try this and Dum Biryani at home!
luv
Selma
I love how you have smoked the chicken – I will have to try this when I can cook outside as otherwise the smoke alarms will go off – and they don’t need much encouragement to do so! I cannot enter the competition but I thought that I would let you know what I like to slow cook in the oven using a large Creuset casserole. My family’s firm favourite is lamb shanks with lots of tomato, onions, garlic, saffron green herbs and olives. Also some chilli flakes. Braise for about 3 hours as the smells wafting from the kitchen cause electronics to be set aside!
Deeba @ PAB
Selma, those lamb shanks sound divine, almost tangine like. MUST TRY!! Thank you for sharing your family favourite. Have a wonderful wonderful 2014 my friend!
Vidya Sury
Gorgeous post, Deeba, You’re such a fab recipe presenter. I’d love to win the cookbook and cookware – big fan of Nirlep. I still have my first pan which I bought two decades ago. Crazy but true.
I am a vegetarian, so I have no idea about this particular recipe, but can think of lots of things to make 😀
Deeba @ PAB
Thank you for the sweet words Vidya. I can imagine your first pan; must special! I made finger licking goo kadhi in my hand yesterday …was yum!
sangeeta khanna
Lovely chicken curry and gorgeous pictures Deeba. I love such curries that cook in their own juices and don’t need much frying/bhunoeing etc. I had bookmarked your Ishrat auntie’s chicken korma so that would be the first I would try..
This handi would be perfect for my chicken kaali mirch, the several Thai curries that I cook with minimal preparation and yes all the daals I love 🙂
gloria
yummy!!! love your pictures!!!!
Dear Deeeba Have a nice and Happy New Year my friend!!!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Lizzy (Good Things - Australia)
Ooooh, this looks quite delicious… I haven’t made a curry in this fashion for many years… my partner, Peter, loves butter chicken and we also have a red Thai curry that is a favourite. I’d love to try this one, thank you for sharing, and best wishes for the new year! xo
Deeba @ PAB
Have a great 2014 Lizzy. I’m virtually headed down under to peep into that cherry pie. Sounds fabulous!
Coco in the Kitchen
How so very interesting.
I love anything smoked, but have never tried doing any of the smoking myself.
This is a must-try.
Happy new year, Deeba! I hope 2014 is sweet to you.
Deeba @ PAB
Thank you sweet Coco. Smoking is a beautiful way of adding a new dimension to cooking. Beware of your fire alarms though. We don’t have any here so life is good!! Have a really really nice 2014. Much love!
Twinsy Rachel Abraham
Happy New Year 🙂 I remember mom buying Nirlep nonsticks 27 or 28 years ago n the best part is that she still uses them.. In fact, the kinda nonsticks cookwares she had then is now off market. I can think of many, many recipes to cook/bake with that Nirlep pot, but biriyani comes first 🙂
neha
How can v enter d contest? The form is bit complicated, could not understand it.
Deeba @ PAB
It’s quite simple Neha. I have had 27 entries already. Please enter your email address, or log in via FB…and then follow the leads!
Meenakshi Kapur
HI
Just joined your page and msut say so awesome recipes and loved the way you have presented this recipe and lovely clicks
I feel that cooking is an art and I love to play with colors of food and if I am honored with this Handi then I would love to make Idli Kofta Dum-e-Biryani which is my innovation and hope it will taste great as it sounds great
thanks
keeping fingers crossed to win this
Koyeli S. Chakraborty
I would Love to make ‘Mutton Qorma’ if I owned a Handi like this.
meena chhichhia
for quick heating of flavourful spices and is also useful for melting butter , Dry vegetables, Appetising Soups, Kebabs, Keemas, Veg & Non-Veg Curries ,& many more Dumpukht dishes
Deepa
Great blog. I would like to do Fish Biriyani with this pot if i get a hand on it. Thanks.
Pari
Hi Deeba,
Wish you a very happy new year.
I love making curries and trying my hand on the new variations. This Handi looks just perfect to give Dum to the curries as well as Biryani and also to make slow coooked Daal Makhani which happens to be my kid’s favorite.
Regarding the book, Chef. Vikas Khanna is an inspiration with his authentic recipes as well as his fusion cooking, would love to try more of his recipes.
Swati Gupta
Winter Special Contest :My handi recipe(hyderabadi mirch)
Ingredients
2 cups long green chillies (bhavanagari chillies) or capsicum , cut into thick strips
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1/4 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1/4 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
6 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
2 tbsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tamarind (imli) pulp
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
5 tbsp oil
salt to taste
To be ground into a dry peanut-sesame powder
2 tbsp roasted peanuts
2 tbsp sesame seeds (til) , roasted
1 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera), roasted
To be ground into a paste
6 cloves of garlic (lehsun)
12 mm. (½”) piece of ginger (adrak)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp grated coconut
Method
Wash and slit the green chillies. Remove the seeds and fry in hot oil until they turn whitish in colour. Remove and keep aside.
In the same oil, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds and curry leaves.
When the seeds crackle, add the paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, coriander-cumin seed powder, chilli powder and powdered peanut-sesame mixture. Cook over a medium flame, stirring continuously until the oil separates.
Add 2 cups of water and tamarind pulp and bring it to a boil.
Add the fried green chillies, coriander and salt and simmer until the gravy thickens.
Serve hot.
Notyet100
Wow I am back at ur space after such a long time and I am mesmerised 🙂
If I have a handi like this I would prepare dum biryani in it 🙂
Wish ya great year ahead
Arti
Hi Deeba
Thanks for the review and recipe. The Handi seems to be super versatile. I can use it almost everyday to cook various curries especially Gujju Undhiyu, Kadhi, pilaf, Biriyani, Khee… The list is endless!
Mallika
Lovely clicks and I like the way you write. Your cakes and bakes mesmerise me. I have never tried the Dum style of cooking, probably because its more associated with non-vegetarian cooking than vegetarian I suppose. I would certainly love to make Dum Biriyani or Dum Aloo or may be replace chicken for a vegetarian version like soya chunks or mushroom and try this recipe. Fabulous clicks Deeba.
Shiny Velayudhan
Hi Deeba,
I am a silent follower of your blog. I’ve tried couple of bakes from this space, but I feel your standards of cooking/baking are far higher than mine.
I have been longing to cook a pot of dum biriyani and this handy looks just perfect for that.
Shiny