Murgir Posto Malaikari(chicken cooked with poppy seeds and coconut milk)

     This is the last recipe of this year, I guess and it has to be a special one. This recipe is special in the sense that I combined two popular Bengali chicken curries in one and experimented a little. The result was no doubt yummy. There are two Bengali Chicken recipes very popular among Bengalis are Posto Murgi(Chicken cooked with Poppy seeds) and another one is Chicken Malaikari(Chicken cooked with coconut milk) - both are immensely delicious in taste. The experimenter mind in me, thought to combine two of them in one dish and voila, a great tasting chicken curry has born.

Now let's see how I did it....

You Need :
Chicken(whole) : 750 gms.
Potato : 2, halved
Onion paste: 3, medium
Ginger Paste : 1 tblsp.
Garlic paste : 1 tblsp.
Tomato : 2, medium
Green Chilli : 2
Poppy seed ; 3 tblsp.(grind coarsely)
Coconut milk : 1 cup
Turmeric powder ; 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 2 tsp.
Red Chilli powder : 2 tsp. or as per your requirement
Fennel seed : 1 tsp.
Garam Masala : 3 cardamoms, 3 cloves and 1" piece of cinnamon
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Mustard Oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing
For tempering ::::
Bay leaf : 1
Dry red chilli(whole) : 1
Cardamoms : 2-3
Cloves : 3
Cinnamon : 1-2 stick(1")

How To :

• Preperation :::: Cut the chicken into medium size pieces. Wash and drain the whole water before marinating. Then marinate the chicken pieces with half of ginger and garlic paste, 1 tsp. each of  turmeric and red chilli powder, 1 tsp. mustard oil and a little salt for at least 30-45 minutes. Also halve the potatoes and smear little salt on them and set aside.
• Grind poppy seeds with 2 green chillies into a coarse paste, keep aside. 
• Slightly roast fennel seeds, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon on a tawa and grind all together into a powder. 
• Cooking ::::: Heat rest of the oil in a pan, fry the potato pieces in oil till they are brown from all sides. Remove and keep aside. In the same oil, temper with bay leaf, dry red chilli, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick. when they start to crackle, add onion paste to the oil. Saute in medium heat and continue stirring so that onion doesn't get burnt. Add 1 tsp. sugar at this moment and continue sauteing the onion paste till it turns brown. Now add rest of the ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomatoes.  
• When tomatoes get soft, add marinated chicken pieces in the pan and saute for 5-6 minutes. In between, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and poppy seed paste. Mix well with the chicken pieces, if needed add 2-3 tblsp. water and carefully saute the chicken pieces for about 10 minutes. Lastly add 1 cup coconut milk mixed with 1/2 cup hot water and garam masala powder to the curry. Add fried potatoes to the curry.
• Season with salt and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook in medium flame till potatoes and chicken are well-cooked and you get your desired consistency of the gravy.   
• Pour on a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve it with hot rice or rotis.

As in two days, new year is approaching us, hereby wishing all my visitors, blog followers and my blogger buddies a healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Will see you in 2016 and don't forget to visit RECIPE JUNCTION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!