Country chicken curry, also known as desi chicken curry, is an incredibly flavorful and spicy dish that is popular in many parts of India. It is made with fragrant mustard oil, a unique blend of aromatic spices and desi chicken (also known as natti kozhi or desi murgh). This traditional dish is a delicious and tasty dish that can be enjoyed by everyone. Turmeric and basic seasonings are initially used to marinate the chicken in dal. The fluids are then sealed by sauteing them in oil. The preparation of the curry using ground paste and spice powder follows. You only have to wait while the chicken cooks slowly in spices.

Ingredients to prepare country chicken curry-

Onions, ginger garlic, green chillies and tomatoes. For spice powders, we need red chilli powder, turmeric, and coriander powder. The rest of the whole spices are mustard seeds, methi seeds, cloves, black and green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and black peppercorns.

Fimarinate the chicken with basic seasoning and refrigerate it. Then, you can quickly whip the masalas and chicken in a pressure cooker and you are done. However, cooking this curry in a handi or earthen pot gives the best flavour. I usually prefer making it in a traditional way to make it in an earthen pot. Furthermore, This curry can be made in an Instant Pot and slow cooker also.

The process to prepare desi chicken curry-

• 900 g Country Chicken ((Desi wala murgh) cut in pieces.)
• 2 Medium Onions (roughly chopped)
• 8 cloves Garlic
• 1 ½ inch Ginger
• 2-3 Green chillies
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds (mustard seeds)
• ¼ tsp Methi seeds
• 1 Large Tomato (grated/blended)
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder ((+1 teaspoon for marinade))
• 1 ½ tsp Coriander powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 bay leaf
• Juice of one lemon
• 5 tbsp mustard oil
• To make masala powder:
• 6 cloves
• 5 green cardamoms
• 2 black cardamoms
• 1.5-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 ½ tsp black peppercorn.

Let’s dive into the process of preparing the dish-

• First, marinate the chicken with 1 teaspoon of turmeric (haldi), salt and pepper.
• Cover and allow it to marinate for one hour, refrigerate it.
• Now, grind onions, chillies, ginger, garlic and mustard seeds to fine paste.
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai until it’s hot and smoky.
• Add marinated chicken and fry for 3-4 minutes to seal the juices of the chicken.
• Take it out on a plate and keep it aside.
• In the same oil, add bay leaf, and methi seeds and fry for a few seconds.
• Then, add onion masala paste and sauté on high flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Once the onion masala paste cooks well, add tomato and cook for another 2-3 minutes
• Then, add chicken, coriander powder, turmeric and red chilli powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Next, add the ground powder, water as per the required consistency and season with salt. Cover and cook until done. Finally, add lemon juice and mix.
• The Country chicken is ready to be served. Dish out and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice and salad on the side.

Conclusion

Now the flavorful, fiery Country chicken curry is prepared for consumption. Serve it alongside a dish of salad and hot, steamed rice. Bon Appetit!

FAQ’s 

Why is country chicken so tasty?

Country chickens have a typical lifestyle and a varied diet, so their flesh is more complex and has a flavour that is distinctly gamey.

Is country chicken healthy or not?

Country chickens possess fewer toxins from free foraging, meaning little to no health risks

Why is country chicken so expensive?

Being a rare breed, this chicken is expensive because of a multitude of reasons. Due to a lower fertility rate, they take time to grow, hence the higher price but it’s healthy