Easy Bengali Style Chicken Rezala Recipe | Kitchenstagram
Bengali-style Chicken Rezala is a delicate and fragrant dish that showcases the rich culinary heritage of West Bengal, India. This recipe stands out for its use of unique ingredients like poppy seeds and kewra water, which contribute to its exceptional aroma and flavour.
Chicken Rezala is a creamy and rich Mughlai chicken curry made with yogurt, cashews, poppy seeds and whole spices. This subtly flavoured Bengali Chicken curry is slow-cooked with whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and dry red chilies. The slow simmering process with a curd mixture ensures that the chicken remains moist and tender, while infusing it with a rich array of flavours. Paired with kulcha, naan or laccha paratha, it creates a truly delicious meal. The addition of fragrant spices like green cardamom, saffron and mace enhances its sweet-smelling profile.
There are various versions of Rezala curry, including Bhopali, Bengali and Bengali styles. Traditionally made with mutton or goat meat, this post focuses on a Bengali-style Chicken Rezala recipe. This creamy and rich chicken curry is infused with subtle and royal flavours, offering a balanced taste with the sourness from yogurt, sweetness from cashews, and spiciness from pepper and dry red chilies.
Ingredients for Chicken Rezala:
Chicken: Use bone-in skinless chicken for the best flavour.
Yogurt: Plain curd or yogurt is essential for binding flavours. Opt for whole milk yogurt to avoid an overly sweet taste that might dominate the rezala’s delicate sweetness.
Onion: Onions form the base of the gravy and add a subtle sweetness. Make a paste of onions for a smooth consistency in the sauce.
Ghee & Oil: Ghee, or clarified butter is a magical ingredient that elevates the dish, you can use a combination of ghee and oil, but either one alone will also work well.
Ginger, garlic and green chili paste: A blend of ginger, garlic and green chili paste is vital. These ingredients provide the necessary aromatic foundation. Adjust green chilies according to your heat preference.
Whole Spices: The spice mix should achieve a balanced heat and aroma. You’ll need dried red chilies, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, green cardamom and cinnamon.
Rezala Masala: A homemade blend of black and white peppercorns, coriander seeds, green cardamom and mace, sprinkled at the end, adds a final layer of warmth.
Seasonings: A bit of sugar is necessary to balance the spices warmth, making the dish mildly sweet. Adjust salt to taste for the perfect seasoning.
Poppy seeds & Cashew: Cashews and white poppy seeds are crucial for creating a creamy sauce. These are typical in Bengali cooking and should be soaked and ground to thicken the sauce. Adjust the quantities based on your desired creaminess.
Aromatics: Saffron strands, kewra water or rose water enhance the dish’s fragrance and add to its luxurious feel. A few saffron strands will impart a gentle golden hue and a n elegant finish.
Serving suggestions:
Serve the sumptuous Chicken Rezala with plain Basmati rice or a vibrant vegetable pulao for a delightful meal. For alternative pairing, try serving Chicken Rezala with soft Indian flatbreads like naan, kulcha, laccha paratha, luchi, tandoori roti, roti or rumali roti, perfect for soaking up the savory sauce. Additionally, jeera (cumin) rice, offers a fragrant and complementary side.
Ingredients:
For Rezala Masala:
10-12 nos. Black Peppercorn
6-8 no. White Peppercorn
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 Mace
4-5 pcs. Green Cardamom
A pinch of Salt
For Chicken Marination:
500 gm chicken
1/2 cup Curd, beaten
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic-Green chili paste (ginger- 1 tbsp, garlic- 4-6 cloves, Green chili- 4-6 no.)
1 tsp Rezala Masala
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste
Nut & seed Paste:
6-8 nos. Cashew nut
1 tbsp Poppy seeds
For the Gravy:
4 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
1 inch Cinnamon
3 nos. Green Cardamom
8-10 nos. Black peppercorn
4 nos. Onion (paste)
A pinch of salt
4-5 pcs. Whole Dry Red Chillies
1/2 cup Curd, beaten
Marinated Chicken
1 tsp Sugar
6-8 Saffron strands
1 tsp Rezala Masala
1 tsp Kewra water
1-2 drops Meetha Attar
Preparation:
For Rezala Masala:
- Step 1: In a blender jar add black Peppercorn, white Peppercorn, coriander seeds, mace, green Cardamom and a pinch of Salt. Grind the spices into a fine powder.
- Step 2: Then sieve the rezala masala and keep aside.
For Chicken Marination:
- Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, add chicken, beaten curd, ginger, garlic, green chili paste, Rezala Masala, Ghee and Salt to taste.
- Step 4: Marinate the chicken for an hour to overnight. I prefer marinating the chicken for overnight.
Nut & seed Paste:
- Step 5: Soak the cashew nuts for 20 minutes or overnight. Transfer the soaked cashews and poppy seeds in a blender jar along with water.
- Step 6: Blend the cashew and poppy seeds into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
For the Gravy:
- Step 7: In a small bowl combine kewra water and meetha attar. Keep aside.
- Step 8: Heat oil & ghee in a wok over medium-high heat.
- Step 9: Then add black Peppercorn, green cardamom and cinnamon and dry red chilies to the wok and let the spices splutter.
- Step 10: Then add the onion paste and a pinch of salt and fry the onion for 6-8 minutes on low flame.
- Step 11: Then add the beaten curd little by little and continue to cook for 4-5 more minutes.
- Step 12: Add the marinated chicken and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Step 13: Then cover and cook the chicken for 10 minutes on low heat.
- Step 14: Next, add cashew and poppy seed paste and stir to combine.
- Step 15: Then add few saffron strands and sugar, stir to combine.
- Step 16: Then cover and cook the chicken for 20 minutes on low heat.
- Step 17: Next, add rezala masala and kewra-meetha attar mixture, stir to combine.
- Step 18: Now, turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes.
- Step 19: Serve hot with rice or roti, naan or laccha paratha etc. Enjoy!!
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DEBJANI MONDAL
Welcome to Kitchenstagram, the home of delicious recipes, culinary inspiration and cooking adventures. I’m Debjani and I’m thrilled to be your guide through the wonderful world of food. I’m a self-taught professional baker, home chef, recipe developer, author of Kitchenstagram and an aspiring YouTuber.
My passion for food and cooking began at a very young age, when I would watch my mom and dad cook for me and my brother. My dad, in particular is a great cook whose culinary skills made a lasting impression on me. My dad would cook up a storm on special occasions by cooking variety of dishes, from delicious biriyani to samosa, fish fry, rasgullas and kachoris (sweet & spicy deep fried pastry with filling of lentils, meat or fish…>>>>>
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