Kolhapuri chicken with bhakri

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 800 gChicken curry cut
• 3 mlTurmeric
• 1 tbspGinger-garlic paste
• to tasteSalt
• 10Dried red chillies, half of them Byadgi, for colour
• 1 tbspCoriander seeds (sabut dhania)
• 1 tspCumin, seeds
• 1 tspBlack pepper, whole peppercorns
• 4Cloves
• 2 gCinnamon, a 3 cm piece of stick
• 1Black cardamom
• 1Star anise
• 1 tbspSesame seeds
• 1 tspPoppy seeds (khus khus)
• 40 gDesiccated coconut, dry coconut (khopra), grated
• 1Onion, thinly sliced, for the masala
• 4 tbspRefined oil
• 1Onion, finely chopped, for the gravy
• 1Bay leaf
• 1Tomato, chopped
• 1 tspRed chilli powder
• ≈ 400 mlWater, hot
• 2 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped

On the side

• 400 gJowar flour
• ≈ 280 mlWater, hot, for the dough

Method

1. Wash the chicken and mix it with the turmeric, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Keep aside while you make the masala.
2. Dry-roast the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom and star anise in a pan on a low flame for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant and the chillies are crisp. Add the sesame and poppy seeds and roast for another minute, until the sesame turns golden. Tip onto a plate.
3. Heat a quarter of the oil in the same pan and fry the sliced onion on a medium flame until dark brown, about 8 minutes. Add the dry coconut and roast, stirring, until deep golden brown, 2–3 minutes.
4. Let it cool a little, then grind the roasted spices, onion and coconut with a splash of the water into a fine, dark paste.
5. Heat the rest of the oil in a kadai. Add the bay leaf and chopped onion and fry until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and red chilli powder and cook until the tomato is soft, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the chicken and sauté on a high flame for 5 minutes until it turns white. Stir in the masala paste and fry, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the oil starts to separate.
7. Pour in the rest of the hot water, cover and simmer on a low flame for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick and dark red with a layer of red oil on top.
8. Meanwhile, make the bhakri dough: mix the jowar flour with a pinch of salt, pour in most of the hot water and stir with a spoon. When cool enough to handle, knead a quarter at a time with the heel of your hand into a smooth dough, adding the rest of the water as needed.
9. Make the bhakris: pat an orange-sized ball of dough out on a floured board into a thin round. Lay it on a hot tawa, brush the top with water and cook for a minute. Flip, cook the other side, then puff it over the flame. Make 8 and wrap them in a cloth.
10. Sprinkle the coriander leaves over the chicken and serve with the hot bhakris.

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