Name: Dak Bungalow Chicken recipe by Trisha Rudra at BetterButter
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Chicken 750 gms; Eggs 2, boiled; Potatoes 4, quartered or halved into semi-large sized pieces; Onions 2 large sized, sliced; Ginger-Garlic paste 2 tbsp; Tomato paste 3 tbsp or of 2 tomatoes; Green chilli paste 1 tsp; Hung curd 4 tbsp or 1/2 cup; Cumin Seeds 1 tsp; Cloves 3 to 4; Cinnamon 1 large stick; Black cardamom 1; Green cardamom 3 to 4; Peppercorns 5 to 7; Bay leaf 2; Dry red chilies 3 to 4; Turmeric powder 2 tsp; Kashmiri red chilli powder 3 tsp; Salt to taste; Coriander powder 3 tsp; Sugar 1/2 tsp; Coriander, chopped to garnish; Mustard oil 2 tbsp for marination and 4 tbsp for cooking

ABOUT Dak Bungalow Chicken RECIPE

Of the many ‘lost’ recipes in Bengal, the Dak Bungalow or Dak Bangla Chicken is one that has been revived and revamped in the recent era. This recipe was once part of Colonial Bengal, made by the ‘khansama’ (cook) of Dak Bungalows, for their ‘sahebs’. This recipe, recently revived by the Anglo-Indian community in Bengal, is now even part of Kolkata’s numerous restaurant menus, and is also often made with meat or mutton.

Ingredients Serving: 4

Chicken 750 gms
Eggs 2, boiled
Potatoes 4, quartered or halved into semi-large sized pieces
Onions 2 large sized, sliced
Ginger-Garlic paste 2 tbsp
Tomato paste 3 tbsp or of 2 tomatoes
Green chilli paste 1 tsp
Hung curd 4 tbsp or 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Cloves 3 to 4
Cinnamon 1 large stick
Black cardamom 1
Green cardamom 3 to 4
Peppercorns 5 to 7
Bay leaf 2
Dry red chilies 3 to 4
Turmeric powder 2 tsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander powder 3 tsp
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Coriander, chopped to garnish
Mustard oil 2 tbsp for marination and 4 tbsp for cooking

Instructions

Dry roast the garam masala, once cooled, dry grind into a coarse powder. Mix the ginger-garlic, tomato and green chilli paste and keep half for marination by mixing 2 tbsp of mustard oil in it. Reserve the rest to make the curry.
Wash and drain the chicken off water, place it in a large bowl. Make slits all over so the marinade so it can enter the chicken pieces. Rub the reserved marinade paste all over the chicken by stuffing it down the slits. Use half of the ground garam masala and rub it all over the chicken.
Use a cling wrap and refrigerate the chicken for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight if you prefer, or at least for 2 hours.
Smoke mustard oil in a pressure cooker. Rub turmeric all over the potatoes and eggs, and then fry them until the skin is deeply golden. Keep aside and in the same oil, throw in the bay leaves, red chillies and cumin seeds.
Now add the sliced onions and some salt. Fry until golden brown. Add the reserved ginger-garlic, tomato and green chilli paste and fry it for a few minutes.
Take out the marinated chicken and put the pieces into the pressure cooker. Add the well-beaten curd, salt, turmeric, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala and coriander powder, as well as the sugar.
Add the potatoes too, keeping the eggs aside for later. (You may also boil the potatoes separately and keep aside, but I like my potatoes with the taste of the gravy)
Mix everything well for about 2 to 3 minutes, before adding 2 to 3 cups of water, or until the chicken and potatoes are submerged. Cook till a couple of whistles or until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are soft. Garnish with chopped coriander.

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