soooo no matter what I make, be it karahi, korma, even biryani…whatever…my salan ends up toooo wet…it doesn’t have that masalaydaar look to it that I want (or in the case of korma, a thick yogurty curry)
I’ve tried several different methods including:
cooking the chicken on high heat so it doesn’t release too much water (as leaving it on low heat left too much water)
cook it in a big wide wok instead of a traditional pot
I’ll never add water…instead add tomato sauce or yougurt…
The key to a good consistency is the right amount of onions/tomato/yoghurt/spices.
Here's the trick I've learned for a perfect salan:
For 1 full chicken or 1.5lbs of mutton, use just 1 med size onion. You fry it until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, put into a blender. Add ginger garlic, 2 tomatoes, all spices and a little water. Grind until a smooth paste. Now pour back into the same oil and bhuno a bit. Add your meat/chicken, bhun until oil separates and meat is almost tender. Now add just enough water to cover and the veg of your choice such as aloo. Lower heat and cook on low until the veg is cooked.
Sara ... this used to be my issue once upon a time ... i realised later through experience about a few things , sharing them with you:
For thick gravy , I use about two to three large onions and coarsely grind them ... cook this onion on low heat in oil .. you must cook it for a good half an hour ... until it realeases the oil so well that even if you add a splash of water , the oil comes back on top in the next two minutes ...
If you dont cook it well at that stage, the gravy will remain watery ... but it the onion gets cooked really well at this stage , none of the other ingredients will make it watery ..
I add about 3/4th cup of blended tomato paste in thick gravy salans ... and cook it all on low heat ... thats helped the salan tremendously ..
You might not be bhonOOO it well or might be using less onion. Make sure you have right quantity and use VERY LITTLE water while boonoofying or tenderizing it. Once meet is tender, you can always ADD water to bring it to your fav consistency
Yeah, add mroe onions and tomatoes. And when you're bhoonifying it - keep cooking the chicken until you see the oil separates from the masala part. Then add water. Also, like nomi said, let the water evaporate...the salan should thicken on it's own. Kick up the heat really high and leave the pot uncovered...should help. I've never tried korma, but my mom makes it, and i think the problem comes up when you're trying not to burn the masala/spices. Don't add splashes of water, thinking it will help. Just sprinkle it around, or lower the heat so as not to burn anything. Even in korma though, bhoonifying it properly is really important. Eve though you feel it might be too long, wait until the oil separates completely from the masala.
soooo no matter what I make, be it karahi, korma, even biryani...whatever...my salan ends up toooo wet....it doesn't have that masalaydaar look to it that I want (or in the case of korma, a thick yogurty curry)
I've tried several different methods including:
cooking the chicken on high heat so it doesn't release too much water (as leaving it on low heat left too much water)
cook it in a big wide wok instead of a traditional pot
I'll never add water...instead add tomato sauce or yougurt...
but end result is its still too watery :/
main ki karaN?
will you follow my recipe?? you certainly should!! I have got your problem specially in Qorma. First things first. Tip no. 1; when you wash the chicken, leave it in Strainer for around 10 mins, so that it dries. now, if your chicken is 1 kg, take 5 to 6 medium sized onion. thin slice (use Onion chopper for good results). fry it golden brown, spread it on a paper (news paper would work best) and dry it under fan.. this all should be done fastly.. in seconds you will feel the onion is turning crispy & just then you need to crush it by your hands.. no late, no wait :) crush it as much as you can and now keep it aside. Now salan turn. Ghee should be used for qorma. take a bowl, pour 1 pao yogurt in it, 1-1/2 tablespoon red pepper, 1 teaspoon pisa hua dhanya, 1/2 teaspoon haldi, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1/4 teaspoon garam masala pisa hua, 6 longen, 8 gol kali mirch, 2 bari elaichi kaat ke, 5 to 6 green chhoti ilaichi halki si kaat ke, salt 1 teaspoon, sufaid zeera 1-1/2 teaspoon, garlic paste 1-1/2 tablespoon, ginger 1 tablespoon.. mix it all well, infact very well, now pour this paste in heated ghee.. ab isko achhi tarha bhoono, yahan tak ke masala ban jaye and ghee ooper aajaye. fire should be medium.. if ghee ooper na aaye means you need to raise the fire. achhi tarhan bhoonnay ke baad add chicken and isko bhi achhi tarha bhoono, REMEMBER, if the chicken wasn't dried well it will leave too much of water so make sure it was strained well. ab medium aanch p hi handiya dhak do and after two minutes put the fire on lower medium. again affter 5 minutes you need to check ke chicken paani to nahin chor rahi. remember another thing, chicken's cooking time is always around 25 minutes to 35 minutes. so isi hisab se you will need to adjust the fire. agar pani km chor rahi hay to fire halki kardo aur agar pani zada chor rahi hay to anch tez. avoid adding water unless really needed. (in rare cases it needs to add water) wo bhi hardly half cup. I hope it wont. now when the chicken is done, add crushed onion, mix it and add water if needed, apnay hisab se uski thickness rakho and then taste it, salt, laal mirch.. these are two things jis main se koi aik cheez ya dono ki km lgega, and its because of onion, because onion tastes sweet.. so add accordingly.. adjust the taste.. (ye sab halki aanch p karna) now add Kewra 1/2 teaspoon.. cover the handiya and uspe baat rakh ke usay dm do for 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover it...... you'll find, all what you needed :D
Put some atta/flour and cook it for few minutes your salan will be as thick as glue, with ata in it you will not need roti to eat this salan. You can use your salan for gluing things if needed.
Mirch Lagi ?
You put ata in nihari and paya to make it thick , don’t you ? My bhabi does that to any watery salan and they still taste good. So I have seen it happening , that is why this advice.
As for lai and glue comments that was just for some fun.
Sometimes it happens if you are using too little oil. Salan does not get properly bhoonify in the fat and thus don't get that shiny layer of bhoona masala.
the tip as Niksik suggested should solve your problem. I prepare the koftay gravy almost the same way, and its always on the thicker side. The fried onion paste has thi tendency to thicken the gravy. Try it and tell us.
you’re not funny…go mess up some one else’s threads.
