Bengali · serves 2

Murgir Jhol

A light Bengali chicken curry with potatoes. Thin gravy, meant for rice.

45 min Some work Non-vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 700g chicken
  • 3 potatoes, halved
  • 3 onions, paste
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/2 cup curd
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • Whole spices
  • 4 tbsp mustard oil

Method

  1. Marinate the chicken in curd, turmeric and salt for 20 minutes.
  2. Mustard oil till it smokes, then fry the potato halves with turmeric and salt till golden. Take out — they cook again later.
  3. Whole spices, then onion paste cooked 10 minutes till the raw smell goes.
  4. Ginger-garlic, tomatoes and powders till the oil separates.
  5. Chicken seared 6 minutes, then potatoes back in with 3 cups water. This gravy is meant to be thin.
  6. Cover, simmer 25 minutes. Garam masala. Plain rice.

Questions people ask about Murgir Jhol

How long does Murgir Jhol take?

About 45 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a bit of work. Most of that is active, so read the method through before you start rather than chopping as you go.

What can I use instead of chicken in Murgir Jhol?

Use paneer, firm tofu or mushrooms. All three cook far faster than chicken, so add them in the last 5 minutes rather than at the start.

Can I make Murgir Jhol ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Can I make Murgir Jhol vegetarian?

Yes. Replace the chicken with paneer, firm tofu, mushrooms or soya chunks. All of them cook far faster than meat, so add them in the last five minutes rather than at the start, and keep the masala exactly as written.

What do you serve with Murgir Jhol?

Plain rice. It serves two as written. Double everything to feed four, but use a wider pan so the food still browns rather than steams.

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