Chicken Bharta

This is a dish from the Mughlai cuisine in which chicken pieces is shredded finely and looks almost mashed, hence the name Bharta. This is a famous street food of Kolkatta,  this is served in roadside stalls and dhabas.

Ingredients

300 Grams Chicken breast
2 Cloves Garlic 
1 Small Onion - roughly chopped

1 Bay leaf
6 Black peppercorns
An inch Cinnamon stick
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Water

To make the gravy
1 Large Onion -  finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
2 Tomatoes - finely chopped 

1 Tablespoon Cashew nut powder
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Cardamom pods
3 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
1 Teaspoon heaped Kashmiri Chilly powder
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1/2 Teaspoon  Kasoori Methi
Salt to taste
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves - chopped

2 Tablespoons Fresh cream

3 Tablespoons Oil

Method

Boil chicken pieces with garlic cloves, onion, cardamom, black peppercorns, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks and salt.
Once they are cooled down shred the chicken into thin strips using hand or fork.  Keep them aside.

To make the gravy

In a bowl, add cashewnuts,  turmeric, chilly, cumin and coriander powders,  mix with  little water, make a  thick paste.

In a pan heat oil, add bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves and saute for few seconds until the spices release a nice aroma. Then add chopped onion and cook on a medium heat till the onion turns golden brown. Now add ginger and garlic paste, cook for 2 minutes until raw flavor gone away.
Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well,  cover the pan and cook on low medium heat till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 

Then add the masala paste and  little chicken stock cover and cook till oil starts leaving the sides.  Add in shredded chicken pieces and a cup of stock. Cover  and cook. on low flame for 15 minutes stirring in between so that the chicken pieces do not get burn.  When oil surfaces on top and the gravy is thick take off flame.  Add fresh cream and kasuri methi, give a nice mix. Finally add chopped  coriander serve with naan or rotis. 

Labels : Chicken, Mughlai Cuisine, Bharta