CHICKEN NIHARI(INDIAN)

Chicken Nihari
(Authentic Delhi Wali Recipe)

Ingredients:
Chicken: 1kg
Oil: 1 cup
Red Chilli Powder: 3 tablespoons
Turmeric (Haldi) Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Salt: 1 1/2 tablespoons or to taste
Garlic: 1 bulb
Ginger Dried Rhizome (Saunth Powder): 1/2 tsp
Crushed Fennel Seeds (Kuti Saunf): 1tsp
Clove (Long): 2
Cinnamon Stick (Daar Cheeni): 1
Plain Flour (Aata): 5 tablespoons, heaped (means bhar bhar kay)
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 tsp

For Tarka:
Oil: 1/2 cup
Onion: 2, medium size (thinly sliced)

For Garnishing:
Small Green Chillies: 3, sliced
Ginger: 50 gm, cut in Julian
Coriander Leaves: 1/2 bunch, finely chopped

Preparation:
- Crush clove and cinnamon stick together till almost powder.
- Finely chop the whole garlic bulb
- Dry roast aata in a frying pan on low heat till it turns light brown and you get a nice roasted smell. Remove it in a bowl and mix well with water to make a thick paste.

Method:
In a big cooking pot, heat oil. When heated, add red chilli powder and let it fry for 2 minutes. Now stir in chicken along with very finely chopped garlic. Mix and after 2-3 minutes add turmeric powder and salt. Stif fry till chicken changes it's colour from pink to white. Add around 2 liters of water. Bring a boil, lower the heat to medium and cook till chicken is half done.

Now pour in the aata mixture (you'll notice that the oil will vanish), clove and cinnamon powder, Saunth powder and crushed fennel seeds. Let it cook till chicken is done and you get a thick Nihari gravy. Switch off the flame and sprinkle garam masala powder.

In a frying pan, heat oil and fry thinly sliced onions till golden brown. Pour the tarka in Nihari.

Mix and dish out Chicken Nihari in a bowl and garnish it with coriander leaves, ginger Julians and sliced green chillies.

Serve hot with naan.

Note: If using beef or mutton, then add 4-5 liters of water and cook till meat is almost done rather than half done and then follow the recipe from adding aata mixture.