Chicken Rezala-Style Curry
Add 1 Awadhi Murg potli when the yoghurt and water are incorporated. Infuse throughout the gentle simmer and remove before finishing.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Bone-in chicken — 800 g
- Thick curd — ½ cup / 120 g
- Ginger-garlic paste — 1 tbsp
- Salt — 1 tsp
Zaika Potli
- Awadhi Murg — 1 potli
For the Gravy
- Ghee — 2 tbsp
- Onion — 1 medium / about 120 g
- Cashews — 20 g
- Poppy seeds — 1 tbsp, optional where available
- Thick curd — ¾ cup / 180 g, whisked
- Green chilli — 3, slit
- White pepper — ¼ tsp
- Hot water — 1½ cups
- Salt — ½ tsp, then adjust
For Finishing
- Kewra water — ¼ tsp, optional
- Sugar — ¼ tsp, optional
Cooking Instructions
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1Marinate chicken with curd, ginger-garlic paste and salt for 1 hour.
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2Soak cashews and optional poppy seeds in hot water for 20 minutes.
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3Boil the onion for 5 minutes, cool and blend it with the nuts to a smooth pale paste.
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4Heat ghee in a heavy kadai.
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5Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes without allowing it to brown heavily.
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6Add the onion-nut paste and cook gently for 3 minutes.
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7Lower the heat and add the whisked curd gradually.
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8Add green chillies, white pepper, hot water and the Awadhi Murg potli.
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9Cover and simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes.
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10Remove the potli when the chicken is cooked.
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11Simmer uncovered for a few minutes until the gravy lightly coats the chicken while remaining pale.
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12Add optional kewra and a tiny pinch of sugar if desired.
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13Taste and adjust salt.
Avoid deeply browning either the chicken or onion paste. The defining visual character of a rezala-style gravy is pale and creamy rather than dark and roasted.
🍽️ Perfect Serving Pairings
My Take On Chicken Rezala-Style Curry
This is explicitly a rezala-style adaptation, retaining the idea of a pale yoghurt-and-nut chicken gravy rather than claiming to be a strict traditional Bengali rezala. The Awadhi Murg potli works with the dish's Mughlai aromatic direction, while green chilli and yoghurt keep the flavour fresh and comparatively delicate.
The Secret: Avoid deeply browning either the chicken or onion paste. The defining visual character of a rezala-style gravy is pale and creamy rather than dark and roasted.