Panch Phoron Chicken Jhol
This light chicken jhol is deliberately different from a thick North Indian chicken masala. Bengal Panch Phoron perfumes mustard oil at the beginning, while potato, tomato and a relatively thin gravy keep the dish in a Bengali home-style direction.
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Extra Time
Marination Time: 30 minutes
✨ Zaika Potli Secret Technique
Temper 1¼ tsp Bengal Panch Phoron directly in the hot mustard oil before the onions. The blend remains in the curry.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Bone-in chicken — 750 g
- Thick curd — ¼ cup / 60 g
- Ginger-garlic paste — 1 tbsp
- Turmeric — ¼ tsp
- Salt — ¾ tsp
For the Curry
- Mustard oil — 2½ tbsp
- Bengal Panch Phoron — 1¼ tsp / about 4 g
- Potato — 250 g, cut into large cubes
- Onion — 1 large, finely sliced
- Tomato — 2 medium, chopped
- Kashmiri chilli powder — ½ tsp
- Turmeric — ¼ tsp
- Green chilli — 2, slit
- Salt — ½ tsp, then adjust
- Hot water — 2 cups
Cooking Instructions
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1Mix chicken with curd, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and salt. Marinate for 30 minutes.
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2Heat mustard oil until shimmering.
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3Fry the potato cubes until lightly golden on the outside. Remove.
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4Add Bengal Panch Phoron to the same oil.
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5Once the seeds crackle, add onion and cook until lightly golden rather than deeply browned.
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6Add tomato, chilli powder and turmeric.
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7Cook until the tomato softens and begins blending into the oil.
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8Add the marinated chicken and cook over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring frequently.
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9Return the potatoes.
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10Add hot water and green chillies.
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11Cover and simmer for approximately 20–25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are tender.
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12Remove the lid and simmer for another 3–4 minutes if needed.
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13Taste and adjust salt.
💡 Chef's Pro Tip
Keep the gravy lighter than a restaurant chicken curry. A jhol should be fluid enough to mix easily through rice.
🍽️ Perfect Serving Pairings
My Take On Panch Phoron Chicken Jhol
This light chicken jhol is deliberately different from a thick North Indian chicken masala. Bengal Panch Phoron perfumes mustard oil at the beginning, while potato, tomato and a relatively thin gravy keep the dish in a Bengali home-style direction.
The Secret: Keep the gravy lighter than a restaurant chicken curry. A jhol should be fluid enough to mix easily through rice.