Dak Bangla Chicken Curry

Dak bangla literally translates as post office. In actuality, it is a government rest house, originally built by the British. Today, they are found scattered across rural India. Spartan in decor, the cooks or bawarchis make up for the lack of furnishings. On our travels my family sometimes stumbled upon one such establishment, fortuitously at meal times. An order was issued for lunch and in a short span we sat down to a simple delicious hot meal. An main dish of chicken was accompanied by a couple of vegetables, a kachumbar or onion salad, piping hot dal, rice and roti. My inspiration comes from a recipe attributed to these cooks of yore.

Chicken is marinated overnight in malt vinegar, ginger garlic paste and spices. The next day I saute onions with whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns. The chicken sautes as well, the aroma of spices cloaking the kitchen. Use the exhaust. This is a strong smelling aroma. It cooks with a little water, tightly  covered. In half hour you are rewarded with a stalwart relic of the British Raj.


DAK BANGLA CHICKEN CURRY
Serve 4

8 Chicken legs and thighs, 
1 teaspoon Chile powder
2 teaspoons Cumin powder
2 tablespoons Black Pepper powder
1 tablespoon Mustard seeds, ground into powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon Clove powder
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg powder
2 tablespoons Garlic paste
2 tablespoons Ginger paste
4 tablespoons Malt Vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 tablespoons Canola Oil
2 Cinnamon Sticks 
4 Cloves
10 Peppercorns
2 Bay leaves
2 Black Cardamoms
2 Onions, sliced thinly
Cilantro to garnish


Keep chicken skin on. Trim all visible fat.

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Place in a nonreactive bowl.

Add chile, cumin, mustard, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and nutmeg powder to chicken.

Add garlic and ginger pastes as well as malt vinegar and salt to chicken. 

Massage spices paste into chicken, making sure that some goes below the skin.

Cover and marinate 6-8 hours. For best results marinate the chicken overnight.

When you are ready to cook the chicken take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.

Heat oil in a saucepan large enough to hold the chicken.

When oil shimmers drop cinnamon sticks, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and black cardomom into oil.

Let spices bloom for 20 seconds and then add the sliced onions. Saute till onions are light brown.

Add chicken to saucepan and saute over medium high heat. Turn chicken often so it browns on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let the chicken cook for 25-30 minutes. 

Check the saucepan as you might need to add more water. It depends on how much water is released from cooking the chicken.

Uncover and raise the flame. Saute chicken on high for 5 minutes.

Serve chicken hot garnished with fresh cilantro.

This old relic pleases the palate. Skin-on chicken cooks up soft and tender. I dont often use this method but once in a way is good enough.

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