Chicken handi | Chicken curry | Clay pot chicken curry
Chicken Handi is one of the most famous chicken dish eaten in India, which is cooked in a clay pot. It is cooked on a low flame. Now if you want to cook chicken handi in your kitchen and are not able to cook it from where to bring the earthenware, then do not worry. You can also use a metal vessel or an iron vessel instead of an earthen pot. The recipe is very similar to common chicken curry, just the cooking style is slightly different. You must try this recipe at home, and do not forget to watch the recipe video to get the details. This will help you to make Authentic Aromatic Chicken Handi.
Clay pot cooking health benefits:
1 – Clay Pots adds a nice flavour to Food: Clay pots are made of clay, which is alkaline in nature. This property enables it to interact with the acids in the food while cooking, thus balancing its pH. Not only do they make the food healthier but also lend a nice aroma to it. The food cooked in clay pots becomes rich in various minerals such as iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium etc.
2 – Clay Pots cooking preserves the nutritive value of food, and meat prepared in clay pots remains juicy and tender.
3 – Clay Pots are healthy for your heart: Excess use of oil for cooking is one of the leading causes of weight gain. If you wish to make your meals less oily, then clay pots are one of the best options because they require very little oil for cooking food. These pots take longer to heat and use a slower cooking process, helping to retain the natural moisture and natural oils present in the food.
4 – Clay Pots make your dish aromatic: The actual aroma of the food is retained when cooked in an earthen or clay pot. This happens because of the porous nature of the clay pots and also because it uses a slow cooking process.
5 – Clay Pots are cheaper than metal cookware.
How To Use Clay Cookware?
Clay or earthen pots are available in glazed and unglazed forms. Where the glazed ones are ready to use, however, you will be required to prepare the unglazed ones before you use them for cooking. If you are wondering how to use earthen pots for cooking.
1. Preparing Clay Pots Prior to First Use: Take the earthen pot and immerse it in water for at least 12-24 hours. You can also leave it immersed in a sink filled with water overnight. Remove from water and let the pot dry completely.
2. Seasoning Clay Pots: Take any vegetable oil and rub it nicely all over the pot. Fill the pot up to ¾ level with water and cover with the lid before placing it on your stove at low temperature for 2-3 hours.
You can also keep it in your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit instead. Bake the pot for 2 to 3 hours before removing it from the heat. Let it cool down before washing. This process hardens the pot, makes it crack resistant and also helps in getting rid of the clay smell.
3. Before Cooking:
Submerge the clay pot in water for approximately 15 to 20 minutes before cooking food so that the pot absorbs water. The steam released as the pot gets heated slowly helps in preventing the food from drying out while maintaining its natural flavours. Ensure proper temperature settings because a sudden increase or decrease in temperature may lead to cracks or breakage. Place the pot in the centre of the oven and let it slowly heat. Always cook food on low or medium heat.
4. While Cooking: The ideal cooking temperature should be between 190 degree Celsius and 250 degrees Celsius. Unlike metal cookware, clay pots take longer to heat, therefore, on average, cook the food for 15 to 20 minutes longer in comparison to your regular pots. While cooking food in a clay pot, the temperatures need to be set approximately 40 degrees Celsius higher than your regular cookware. In case, the recipe has a longer duration, it is suggested that you cook on low heat.
Never add cold water or cold spices while the pot is hot as it may lead to breakage or cracks. If required, add only warm water.
5. Post Cooking: Always use oven gloves or any kind of bakers pad to lift the hot pot.
Place the pot on a mat, wooden surface or kitchen towel. Placing a hot pot on a cold surface may lead to cracks.
Be careful of hot steam while removing the lid of the pot.
How To Clean Clay Cookware?
1 – As far as possible, make sure you hand-wash the clay pots and avoid putting them in a dishwasher.
2 – Immerse the pot in warm water to loosen the bits of food.
3 – Do not use harsh chemical detergents and avoid excessive scrubbing.
4 – A mixture of baking soda and water can be applied to the pot for removing the strong smell of certain ingredients.
5 – If any kind of mould gets formed, put salt or baking soda on a scrub pad and gently remove the mould.
6 – Boil the pot in water for 20 to 30 minutes to unclog the pores.
7 – Never use detergent or soap to clean the clay pots. The pores may absorb the soap and lend a soapy flavour and taste to your dishes.
1 – Which Is Better: Glazed or Unglazed Cooking Pots?
Though there are both varieties of pots available in the market, it is recommended to pick up unglazed pots. Because no matter what claims the manufacturers may make, the glazed pots would contain harmful chemicals. These pots emit harmful toxins when they are heated up or during the process of cooking.
2 – Can Clay Pots Be Used on a Gas Stove?
Yes, you can use clay pots on your gas stove. However, it is important to keep the temperature under check because extreme temperatures may break the pots. Using a heat diffuser can prevent extreme heat exposure to the clay pot.
3 – Are Clay Pots Toxic?
Clay pots are very safe for cooking. To be doubly sure, we recommend picking up unglazed pots rather than semi-glazed or glazed ones as there are chances of toxic emission because of the chemical used for glazing these pots.
4 – Can Clay Pots Go in the Fridge?
Yes, you can place a clay pot in your refrigerator but make sure it cools down completely or else it may crack or break.
If you haven’t got hold of a clay pot until now, we suggest getting one and experience the Authentic Aromatic Chicken Handi the goodness of health and flavour that is lacking in usual cookware or utensils.
Course: – Main Course
Prep Time: – 10 Minutes
Cooking time: – 20 Minutes
Total Time: – 30 Minutes
Servings: – 5-6 Peoples
Chicken Handi Recipe Video:
Chicken Handi Ingredients:
1 1/2 kg – Chicken pieces
2 nos. – big-sized Onions (finely chopped)
2-3 nos. – Tomatoes (prepare its paste/puree by blending it)
4 tablespoons – Ginger Garlic paste (blend 20-25 medium-sized garlic cloves and 1 1/2 inch ginger piece together)
10-15 nos. – Cashew nuts (blend to make its paste by using little water)
100 gms – Curd
3 tablespoons – chopped Coriander leaves
2 tablespoons – Butter
2-3 tablespoons – Cooking oil
2-3 nos. – Bay leaves (Tez Patta)
1 no. – Star Anise (Chakra Phool)
3 nos. – Cardamom
1 no. – big Black Cardamom
1 teaspoon – Shah jeera (Black Cumin seeds)
4 nos. – Cloves
1 inch – Cinnamon ( Daalcheeni)
2 tablespoons – Red Chilli powder (Use as per your taste)
2 teaspoon – Chicken masala (or Garam masala)
1 teaspoon – Turmeric powder
2 teaspoon – Cumin seeds and sesame seeds powder (roast cumin seeds and sesame seeds For 1 minute and then blend together and prepare its fine powder)
1 teaspoon – Coriander powder
1 tablespoon Kasuri methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
2 nos. – whole red chillies
5-6 nos. – fresh Mints leaves
Salt – as per taste
Method for preparing Chicken Handi with step by step photos:
1 – At first cut and wash chicken pieces (wash at least two to three-time until you get clear water from it) and keep aside.
2 – Heat 2 tablespoon of butter in a clay pot or kadhai and add all dry spices like cardamom, big black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, Shah jeera, bay leaves and star anise. When jeera starts crackling then add turmeric powder and salt. Immediately add chicken pieces and mix gently with spices and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes on medium flame, keep stirring at an interval of every 2 minutes.
3 – After 10 minutes turn off the gas flame. keep aside the pot.
4 – Now take another clay pot and heat 2 tablespoons of oil in it and add chopped onion cook it for 2 minutes until it turns light golden brown. Then add ginger garlic paste and two whole red chillies, and cook by stirring for a minute.
5 – After a minute add all the taken spices red chilli powder, coriander powder, chicken masala and cumin and sesame seeds powder mix well and cook until oil oozes out.
6 – Further add tomato puree and cook for 2 more minutes by covering lid.
7 – After 2 minutes remove the lid and add cashew nuts paste, curd and Kasuri methi and combine well and cook for another minute on low flame.
8 – At the end add cooked chicken pieces with its stock (gravy) and mix gently, cover the lid and allow it to cook on a very low flame for 5 minutes.
9 – After 5 minutes turn off the gas flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, your Chicken handi is ready to serve now.
You can serve it with chapati, nan, roti, and rice.
Must try this mouth-watering chicken handi recipe and enjoy it.
Notes:-
1 – You can add extra hot water if gravy becomes very thick.
2 – Don’t overcook chicken otherwise chicken pieces leave bones and it spoils the chicken taste.
3 – If you don’t have a clay pot then you can cook in any available cooking pot.
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Chicken handi | Chicken curry |Clay pot chicken curry
Ingredients
- 1½ kg Chicken pieces
- 2 nos. big-sized Onions (finely chopped)
- 2-3 nos. Tomatoes (prepare its paste/puree by blending it)
- 4 tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste (blend 20-25 medium-size garlic cloves and 1 1/2 inch ginger piece together)
- 12-15 nos. Cashew nuts (blend to make its paste by using little water)
- 100 gms Curd
- 3 tablespoon chopped Coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2-3 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 2-3 nos. Bay leaves (Tez Patta)
- 1 no. Star Anise (Chakra Phool)
- 3 nos. Cardamom
- 1 no. big Black Cardamom
- 1 teaspoon Shah jeera (Black Cumin seeds)
- 4 nos. Cloves
- 1 no. Cinnamon (Daalcheeni)
- 2 tablespoon Red Chilli powder (Use as per your taste)
- 2 teaspoon Chicken masala (or Garam masala)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds and sesame seeds powder (roast cumin seeds and sesame seeds For 1 minute and then blend together and prepare its fine powder)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- 2 nos. whole red chillies
- 5-6 nos. fresh Mints leaves
- Salt - as per taste
Instructions
- Cut and wash chicken pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a clay pot or kadhai and add all dry spices.
- When jeera starts crackling then add turmeric powder and salt. Immediately add chicken pieces and mix gently with spices and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes on medium flame, keep stirring at an interval of every 2 minutes.
- Now take another clay pot and heat 2 tablespoons of oil in it and add chopped onion cook it for 2 minutes until it turns light golden brown. Then add ginger garlic paste and two whole red chillies, and cook by stirring for a minute.
- After a minute add all the taken spices red chilli powder, coriander powder, chicken masala, cumin and sesame seeds powder mix well and cook until oil oozes out.
- Further, add tomato puree and cook for 2 more minutes by covering the lid.
- After 2 minutes remove the lid and add cashew nuts paste, curd, and Kasuri methi and combine well and cook for another minute on low flame.
- At the end add cooked chicken pieces with its stock (gravy) and mix gently, cover the lid and allow it to cook on a very low flame for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes turn off the gas flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, your Chicken handi is ready to serve now.
- You can serve it with chapati, nan, roti, and rice.
Notes
