Hello
I think every family has a slightly different recipe for their every day chicken salan probably one that has passed down from previous generations, i learnt from my mummy who learnt from her MIL who was also her khala who apparently learnt from her own mother and the recipe hasnt changed at all. Our family are origionally from UP in india so maybe this is traditional for that area.
What is your taditional chicken salan recipe?
Ours is as follows
Ingredients:
1 small chicken with the bones (chopped into usual pieces)
Potatoes
2 medium onions
2 cloves of garlic ( or 1 if large)
1 teaspoon of ginger paste (fresh no shop bought stuff)
Whole Garam Masala ( Cinnamon stick [dalchini], bay leaf, cloves[laung], peppercorns[kali mirch], green cardamom [choti elaichi] )
1/2 teaspoon tumeric [haldi]
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil 3 tablespoons ( but I use 2 to try and be healthy)
Water
- In a heavy based pan add the oil and garam masala, the garam masala is added to the oil straight away as the oil heats up so it infuses, fry the garam masala off a little bit
- whilst step 1 is on the go Blend together the onions, garlic and ginger with a little water into a fine paste
- Add this to the to the oil ( watch out it splatters and spits!) and fry the oinion paste in the oil. My grandma told me you know when its done by the smell, a cooked onion smell starts to waft up it will not change colour.
- once that smell starts coming up (about 5 mins later) add the tumeric, salt and chilli powder and fry for another good 5 minutes
- add in the chicken and potatoes and a cup of water ( my khala actually fries the potatoes and chicken in a seperate pan on a very high heat getting them both brown on the outside and it gives a lovely flavour)
- cook on a low heat until the chicken and potatoes are done
Done! And serve with roti or chawal 