Murgir Mangsho'r Jhol
Updated: Aug 3
This dish is from East India, Bengal. The state is just a border away from Bangladesh. It is quite confusing as Bengalis living in India are Indian and Bengalis living in Bangladesh are Bangladeshis. Are you scratching your head already? The Bengalis living in India are mostly Hindus while the Bengalis residing in Bangladesh are mostly Muslims. Either way, Bengali is ethnicity.
With that outta the way, let's talk about this dish. Jhol is what the Bengalis call a spicy and flavorful stew or sauce. Are you ready to scratch your head again? When the English colonized India, they called every stews, sauces and gravies "curry". Yes, the term "curry" is invented by the English. Here's another head-scratching fact: There are quite a lot of Bengalis who migrated to Singapore centuries ago. They brought this famous household dish with them. Yogurt wasn't vastly available back in that day and age, so it was replaced with coconut milk. It has evolved to what Singaporeans know and love as Chicken Curry today.
The mistake which a lot of people do is cook the potatoes and different cuts of chicken at the same time. Each of which has different cooking timing. The best is to use the same cuts of chicken and to parboil the potatoes beforehand before adding into the stew or jhol. This isn't your typical Chicken Curry. It isn't greasy and blend; but rather, stacking layers of flavors and succulent tender potatoes and chicken. I really hope you will give this recipe a try.
Ingredients:
(Serve 4)
Chicken:
Garlic, 3 Cloves
Ginger, 25g
Red Onion Thinly Sliced, 1/2
Green Chilies Finely Sliced, 2
Yogurt, 60g
Turmeric Powder, 1 TBSP
Kashmiri Chili Powder, 1 TSP Adjust To Preference
Bengal Style Garam Masala, 1 TSP
Sea Salt, Pinch
White Pepper, Pinch
Dried Mushroom Powder. Pinch
Fresh Lime Juice, 1 Lime
Mustard Oil, 10g
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, 4 or 1KG
Jhol:
Potatoes Peeled Wedged Preferably Yukon Gold, 200g
Bay Leaves, 2
Green Cardamons, 3
Cloves, 3
Cinnamon Stick, 1
Black Peppercorns, 8
Mustard Oil, 30g
Dried Chilies Preferably Kashmiri, 2
Red Onion Thinly Sliced, 1.5
Demerara Sugar, Pinch
Turmeric Powder, 1 TBSP
Green Chilies Deseeded Finely Sliced, 2
Fresh Coriander Coarsely Chopped, For Garnishing
Equipment:
Cast Iron Skillet / Pan
Sauce Pot
Directions:
Please visit my "How To Make Bengal Style Garam Masala" page for the recipe.
Prepare the chicken.
Add garlic and ginger into a mortar.
Pound with a pestle until paste forms.
*You can do this in a food processor, but I personally find that mortar and pestle are easier to wash.*
Transfer the garlic ginger paste into a large shallow bowl.
Add in the rest of the ingredients.
Massage the marinade with the chicken until the chicken is well coated.
*After squeezing out the juice from the lime, do not discard the peels. Marinade the peels together with the chicken.*
Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight.
Prepare the jhol.
In a sauce pot over medium heat, add water and potatoes.
Bring it to a boil.
Boil until the potatoes are fork-tender.
*Do not over-boil the potatoes.*
Remove from heat and set aside.
Add bay leaves, cardamons, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns in a teabag, making sure the tea bag is tied properly.
In a skillet over medium heat, add mustard oil.
As soon as the oil is heated up, add in the tea bag spices and dried chilies.
Saute until aromatic.
Add in the onions.
Season with salt, white pepper and sugar.
Saute until lightly caramelized.
Add in turmeric.
Saute until well combined.
Add in 75g of hot water.
Stir to combine well.
Add in the chicken and the rest of the marinade.
Stir to combine well.
Add in the green chilies.
Add in another 400g of hot water.
Add in the boiled potatoes, making sure the potatoes are fully submerged into the stew.
Stir to combine well.
Bring it up to a simmer and cover.
Continue cooking for 15 to 20 mins.
Flip the chicken at halfway mark.
Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Once the stew has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon, taste and adjust for final seasonings with salt and white pepper.
Garnish with coriander.
Give it a final stir.
Remove from heat.
Serve immediately.
Here's the recipe video: