By Chicken Rezala is a rich and delicious Mughal influenced Bengali style chicken curry. Chicken rezala is a mild and delicately flavoured dish made with aromatic and rich spices. Let’s see (step by step) how to make authentic Kolkata style chicken rezala at home.
Today, I am sharing a royal and rich Mughal influenced chicken preparation.
“Chicken rezala” is famous for its rich spices and indulgent flavours. We all know that Mughlai cuisine is one of the richest and lavish cuisine in India and chicken rezala lives up to its name. This mildly spicy with a slight sweetness rezala is a rich and thick white chicken gravy very much like a korma but much more. Chicken rezala is perfectly paired with parathas. But you can also serve it with rice, pulao or roti.
Chicken rezala is slow cooked chicken curry with cashew nuts-poppy seed paste, aromatic rich whole spices, saffron and kewra. Oh! the aroma of this chicken curry. I can’t describe in words how fragrant this curry is. And the taste well we relished each and every bite of this curry. And I am sure you will too.
Well you have to make it to know it.
Let’s see how to make this Traditional Chicken rezala.
How to make Chicken Rezala?
Chicken Rezala is a rich and royal Mughlai dish but it is fairly easy to make.
Firstly in a large bowl the chicken with yogurt, ginger garlic paste, onion paste and salt. And let it marinate for an hour atleast.
Secondly In a large pan heat ghee (you can also use half ghee and half oil) on medium heat. Temper the ghee with 8 to 10 dried red chillies (adding whole dried chilies adds a slight spiciness to this rezala), black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Then add chopped onions and fry on medium heat thill the onion is soft and translucent. Make sure not to brown the onions because we want white gravy.
Next add the marinated chicken and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Then add a teaspoon on coriander powder to the chicken and mix everything well. Continue sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes.
Then add chopped green chillies and poppy seeds- cashew nuts paste and stir well. Add the yogurt and mix every thing well. Now cover and cook on low heat for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and you see the oil separating from the sides. Finally add kewra essence, saffron and meetha attar (optional).
Here are few chicken recipes that you may like.
Chicken Rezala Bengali Style | How to make Chicken Rezala | White Chicken Korma
Equipment
- Large bowl
- large thick bottomed pan
Ingredients
Marination
- 1 kg Chicken I used chicken legs
- 2-3 tbsp Yogurt
- 1/2 cup Onion paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp Salt or as per taste
For the curry
- 2 cups Onion chopped
- 1 cup Yogurt
- 2-3 Green Chillies chopped
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 2-3 Bay leaves
- 8-10 Dried red chilli
- 2 Black cardamoms
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 5-6 Cloves
- 4-5 Green cardamoms
- 1-2 tsp Sugar
- pinch Saffron soaked in 2 tbsp of milk
- 2 tsp Kewra water few drops if using kewra essence
- 2-3 drops Meetha attar (optional)
- 3-4 tbsp Ghee or use half oil and half ghee
Ground to paste
- 22-25 Cashew nuts soaked in 3-4 tbsp of warm water
- 1 tbsp khus khus/white poppy seeds/posto soaked in 3-4 tbsp of warm water
Instructions
- In a mixer grinder add the soaked cashew nuts and poppy seeds along with some water to make a fine paste.
- in a large bowl the chicken with yogurt, ginger garlic paste, onion paste and salt. And let it marinate for an hour at least.
- In a large pan heat ghee (You can also use half ghee and half oil) on medium heat. temper the ghee with dried red chillies, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.
- Then add chopped onions and fry on medium heat thill the onion is soft and translucent. Make sure not to brown the onions because browning the onions wont give us white gravy in the end..
- Next add the marinated chicken and mix everything well.
- Sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add a teaspoon on coriander powder to the chicken and mix everything well. Continue sautéing for 2 minutes.
- Then add chopped green chillies and poppy seeds- cashew nuts paste and stir well.
- Add the yogurt and mix every thing well.
- Now cover and cook on low heat for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and you see the oil separating from the sides.
- Finally add kewra essence(few drops if using kewra essence), saffron milk and meetha attar (optional).
- Garnish with chopped almonds, coriander and silver verv(optional). Serve Chicken Rezala hot with parathas or rice.
I hope you enjoy this delicious Chicken Rezala Bengali Style as much as we do!
You know what guys I would love to see your wonderful creations. If you have tried this recipe, simply click a picture and tag me @gastronomicbong or #gastronomicbong on Instagram or on Facebook.
Bon Appetit!!!
Kankana Saxena
August 31, 2019This is so much like korma but without tomatoes makes this so pretty white. This will be a showstopper at any party!
Sreela Ray
February 1, 2020Should the rezala be a bit sweeter?
Arpita@Gastronomic Bong
February 1, 2020Hello Sreela,
It is on a sweeter note. Have added around 2 tsp of sugar/sweetener. If you like it more sweet you can add accordingly.