Chicken Varta

Chicken Varta:

Chicken Bharta which tastes heavenly is a dhaba style preparation where shredded chicken is cooked in spicy creamy gravy. Chicken Bharta is deliciously creamy in taste due to the use of mashed egg yolk, fresh cream and yogurt in it.This curry needs a boneless meat which should be soft also. This boneless chicken pieces in a creamy, onion and spice based gravy and garnished with strips of egg white and chopped coriander leaves.

Ingredients:

500 grams Chicken breasts , boneless

1 Onion , finely chopped

1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste

1 Tomato

4 Green Chillies , finely chopped

4 tablespoon Sunflower Oil

6 Cardamom Pods

6 Cloves 

1 Bay leaf 

1 inch Cinnamon Stick 

1 teaspoon Cumin powder 

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder 

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder 

1 teaspoon Garam masala powder

Salt , to taste

Sugar , to taste

4 tablespoon Cashew nuts

1/4 cup Curd

1/4 cup Fresh cream

1 tablespoon Butter

1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi

Kewra essence , few drops

Coriander Leaves , for garnishing (chopped)

2 Whole Egg , boiled, peeled and halved

Method:

At first, wash and clean the chicken breast. Cut into large chunks. Boil the chicken in water with salt for 15 to 20 minutes.

Take out the chicken pieces and let them cool down. As the chicken pieces cool down, shred the chicken into thin long strips and keep them aside.

Boil the tomato with required water in a saucepan for about 5 minutes and once it cools down, take out the skin and grind to a fine paste and keep aside.

Soak the cashew nuts in warm water for 10 minutes and grind to a fine paste in a mixer grinder.

In a bowl, mix the cumin powder, coriander powder,both types of red chilli powder, turmeric powder along with 3 tablespoon water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the crushed cloves, black and green cardamoms, cinnamon stick and along with the bay leaf and give it a good stir. Saute it for about 30 seconds.

Now add the chopped onions and saute over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add the tomato puree, green chillies and add a pinch of salt, mix well. Cover the pan and cook on low medium heat till the oil starts to separate. Now add the wet masala, mix well and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Take off from the heat and slowly add the whisked yogurt while stirring continuously.

Return back to slow heat,add fresh cream and mix well.

Now, add the shredded chicken pieces along with 1/4 cup water and cook covered over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Now add the cashew paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Separate the yolk and the white part of the hard boiled egg. Mash and add the yolk to the chicken and chop the white parts and add to the curry.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Stir in between and check the seasoning and adjust accordingly.Now, add kewra essence for that restaurant like flavour.

Reduce the flame and add the fresh cream again, sugar and kasuri methi.Mix well.

Finally,add melted butter and garam masala powder; immediately cover the pan and switch off the heat.

Garnish this scrumptious dish with egg halves and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve Chicken Bharta along with Naan or Roti or Paratha.