1 tb Corn or peanut oil
1 Chicken; cut into serving
-pieces, including giblets
-with loose skin and fat
-discarded
1 md Onion; quartered
1 Fresh ginger piece (1/2"); sliced
1 cl Garlic; chopped fine
1/4 ts Ground turmeric
1 ts Salt; or to taste
1/8 ts Pepper
3 Whole cloves
1 Cinnamon stick (1"); broken up
2 Bay leaves
3 Cardamom pods; cracked
1 c Water
This aromatic chicken and Golden Deep-Fried Potatoes (Aloo-M-Kalla)
are traditionally served together at the Friday evening dinner. The
ritual is part of the Calcutta community's folklore and one which I
experienced many times during my residence there. I now often serve
chicken without the potatoes but with an assortment of Calcutta
Jewish dishes, including salads and chutneys.
In a pan or large skillet, pour the oil. Place the chicken in the
oil, preferably in a single layer and brown over moderate heat for
5 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper,
cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and water together. Pour
this over the chicken. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for
20 minutes.
Turn the chicken pieces over. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes more,
until almost all the liquid evaporate and the chicken browns a bit
more.
Serve warm.
Recipe by Sephardic Cooking by Copeland Mark, 1992
