Also, otherwise, known as Irani Chicken. But, then, I have come across so many variations of this recipe, that I decided to rechristen mine 😊
This beautiful recipe made entry into our hearts way back in the early 80s… My dad was attached to the Governor’s office at the time. During the summer months, the whole Raj Bhawan used to move to Mt. Abu for a couple of months, and operate from there. (It used to be a smaller & more informal community of the Office people, than at Jaipur). It was here that we came across the gentleman who was the personal chef to the Governor (and other Governors before him). Nice, polite, always smiling, the gentleman’s name was Joy Mohan. He shared quite a few of his recipes with us. Irani chicken was one of them. With a little variation to tune in with our Punjabi taste buds, we adopted this particular dish as one of the family favourites.
Method
In a thick & wide bottomed pan, add the ghee.
Add the sliced onions to the hot ghee, keep stirring till they (barely) start turning pink.
At this point, add the chicken pieces, and fry at high flame till all the water has evaporated & the chicken has changed colour to brownish.
Add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, whisked cream & curd to the pot. Keep stirring till the whole mix comes to the boil.
Time to add the salt & the Kashmiri Mirch powder (or Paprika, if you have that). This step is more to provide a pink colour hue to the dish, than anything else.
Cover the pan. Keep cooking on medium to high flame till the chicken has softened enough & the mix is reduced to thick gravy.
Add the powdered green cardamom & the Saffron Kevda mix to the dish, mix thoroughly. Keep covered for five minutes to allow the aromas to seep in.
It is ready to serve.
If you feel it will enhance the taste for you, feel free to use fresh lemon juice on the dish.
