Indian Recipes
Chicken Rezala | Bengali Style Chicken Curry
This Bengali style Chicken Rezala can be best described as delicate and fragrant. Originating from West Bengal in India, this recipe uses unique ingredients like poppy seeds and kewra water for a dish that not only tastes but also smells
- Serves 4 portions
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 40 minutes
- Total 55 minutes
Looking for more chicken curry recipes inspiration? Try my Assamese Black Sesame Chicken Curry, Bihari Chicken Curry, Mangalorean Chicken Curry, and Dhaba Style Chicken Curry recipes!
Say hello to yet another recipe from my Chicken curries from India series – Chicken Rezala! Originating from the state of West Bengal, this Bengali chicken curry recipe features tender chicken pieces coated in a gravy made with unique ingredients like poppy seeds and cashew nuts. The result is a silky textured gravy that has delicate, mildly spicy and fragrant flavors. Serve it with some steamed rice or parathas for a comforting and delicious meal you’ll want to make again and again!
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Chicken Rezala
Here’s everything you need for this recipe:
Frequently Asked Questions
Richa’s Top Tips To Make The Best Chicken Rezala
- Highly recommend using large bone-in chicken pieces as they can withstand the high cooking temperatures and stay juicy and tender until the end. It’s also traditional to use large pieces. However, if large cuts of chicken are not available to you, drumsticks and thighs will work equally well.
- To make the onion paste, grind a roughly chopped medium onion in the mixer grinder without adding any water. This should yield you approx ⅓ cup of onion paste.
- Adding dry coconut or kopra to the poppy seed paste is optional. However adding it gives a mild nutty flavour to the gravy, which alleviates the flavors.
- You can replace poppy seeds with melon seeds if they’re more easily available to you.
- It’s ok to replace white pepper powder with black pepper powder but you might see specks of this in the gravy.
- Kewra water is an extract that is distilled from pandanus flowers. It is a transparent liquid and has a very strong flavour. Do not use more than 2-3 drops as it will make the curry bitter.
This is one of those deeply satisfying chicken curries that make you want to take an afternoon nap right after to complete the experience. Even though it’s traditionally eaten with rice, this Bengali chicken curry tastes delicious with rotis, lachha parathas, butter garlic naan, as well as poori. Remember to make extras though, because the restaurant-style flavors of this chicken curry will surely have everyone reaching out for extras, and you don’t want to be running out!
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The recipe
Chicken Rezala | Benagli Style Chicken Curry
This Bengali style Chicken Rezala is delicate and fragrant. Made with unique ingredients like poppy seeds and kewra water, this chicken curry from West Bengal is indulgent and yet surprisingly light.
- Serves 4 portions
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 40 minutes
- Total 55 minutes
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 500 grams bone-in chicken (cut into large pieces approx 2-inch)
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons curds (whisked, sub with plain greek yoghurt)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt (divided)
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
- 1 tablespoon broken cashew nuts or 3 whole cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon dry coconut or khopra (peeled and chopped (optional))
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 dry red chillies (whole)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves (whole)
- 2 green cardamoms (whole)
- 1 blade of mace
- ⅓ cup onion paste (see Note 1)
- ¾ teaspoon ginger garlic Paste
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cornflour
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ cup milk (30 ml)
- ½ cup water (120 ml)
- ⅛ teaspoon homemade garam masala (use ¼ teaspoon if using store bought)
- 3 green chillies (slit lengthwise)
- 2-3 drops kewra water (optional)
Method
- 1
Marinate Chicken – Mix chicken, ¼ teaspoon salt, white pepper powder and 2 tablespoons of curds in a bowl and marinate for 20 minutes.
- 2
Making Poppy-Cashew-Kopra Paste – Soak poppy seeds, cashew nuts and kopra in ¼ cup of warm water for 30 minutes. Transfer the soaked ingredients to a blender along with the water they were soaked in and blend to make a smooth paste.
- 3
Roast Chicken – Heat ½ tablespoon ghee in a kadhai over medium heat. Add chicken pieces to the pan making sure that they don't overlap and gently fry them on both sides for 2-3 minutes. Do not brown the chicken or this will change the colour of the gravy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Making of Gravy
- 4
Saute Spices – Heat the same kadhai with the remaining 1 & ½ tablespoons ghee & 1 tablespoon oil.
- 5
Add whole red chillies to the kadhai and fry for a minute or so making sure they don’t burn. Once fried, remove the chillies and set aside for later.
- 6
To the kadhai, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & mace and fry till fragrant.
- 7
Saute Aromatics – Add onion paste and cook on low heat for 7-8 mins till you see oil separating from the sides. Paste will turn a pale pink. Keep stirring while cooking and do not allow the onion paste to become brown.
- 8
Add ginger-garlic paste and coriander powder and fry for about 3 minutes. Add a splash of water to prevent it from burning. Add poppy-cashew-kopra paste and fry for another 3 mins.
- 9
Mix cornflour with 1 teaspoon of water to make a slurry. Add this slurry to curds & beat thoroughly until lump free. Add it to the kadhai, and whisk constantly so that curds do not split. Cook on low flame while stirring till curds are cooked and you see oil float to the top.
- 10
Add roasted chicken, milk, water, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and sugar. Cook covered on low heat for 18-20 mins till the chicken is tender.
- 11
Add fried red chillies, slit green chillies, cook for another minute. Turn off the heat, add Kewra water drops, mix and it’s done.
Notes
Using bone-in chicken keeps the meat tender and juicy. Ideally, if large cuts of chicken are not available to you, use drumsticks and thighs which will work equally well. To make onion paste, grind a roughly chopped medium onion in the mixer grinder without adding any water. This should yield you approx ⅓ cup of onion paste. Adding dry coconut or kopra to the poppy seed paste is optional. However adding it gives a mild nutty flavour to the gravy. If poppy seeds are not available, then skip using them in the recipe or replace them with melon seeds. It’s ok to replace white pepper powder with black pepper powder but you might see specks of this in the gravy. Kewra water is an extract that is distilled from pandanus flowers. It is a transparent liquid and has a very strong flavour. Do not use more than 2-3 drops as it will make the curry bitter.
Nutrition
- Calories 397 kcal
- Carbohydrates 8 g
- Protein 19 g
- Fat 32 g
- Saturated Fat 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 13 g
- Trans Fat 0.1 g
- Cholesterol 127 mg
- Sodium 647 mg
- Potassium 333 mg
- Fiber 3 g
- Sugar 4 g
- Vitamin A 188 IU
- Vitamin C 6 mg
- Calcium 70 mg
- Iron 1 mg
Common questions
Can I make chicken rezala without kewra water?
Absolutely! Kewra water adds a unique flavor and aroma to the dish, but it is definitely not a non-negotiable ingredient. You can omit it if it’s not available to you.
Can I make this curry vegetarian?
Yes, why not! Even though this curry is traditionally made with chicken, you can easily replace it with paneer or tofu for a vegetarian version. It will change the taste and texture of the dish, but it will still turn out delicious.
How to store chicken rezala leftovers?
Leftovers of this Bengali chicken curry stay good in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can even make a large batch and freeze leftovers for up to a month. Simply reheat on the stove or microwave for a few minutes when you’re ready to eat.
