Masala & Flame
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Rara Chicken
Curry

Rara Chicken

Rara chicken is the dish you make when you want to go deep — bone-in chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and spices, cooked alongside a separate mince preparation so the gravy picks up flavour from both. The result is richer and more complex than any single-ingredient curry. This is North Indian cooking at its most serious.

1 hr 45 minServes 4 medium–hot

Method

  1. Marinate the bone-in chicken pieces in the yogurt, chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Set aside for 30 minutes .
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the chicken mince with ½ tsp turmeric, 1 chopped green chilli, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 2 tbsp finely chopped onion and salt to taste.
  3. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy pan. Add ½ tsp cumin seeds and one crushed garlic pod; let them splutter. Add the mince mixture and cook, breaking it up, for 10 minutes until dry and cooked through — it should be white throughout with no pink. Remove to a plate.
  4. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add all the whole spices (black and green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, star anise) and the slit green chillies. Let them fry for 1 minute .
  5. Add the remaining sliced onions and fry for 10 minutes until golden brown. Season with salt.
  6. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes , stirring frequently.
  7. Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 5 minutes , covered.
  8. Stir in the cooked mince and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes .
  9. Uncover and fry on high heat until the oil separates and the chicken is lightly charred in places.
  10. Add 1 cup water and garam masala. Simmer for 5–10 minutes until the gravy is thick and rich. The bone-in pieces should read an internal 74 °C / 165 °F with no pink at the bone. Finish with fresh coriander.

Cook's note. After step 9 (the dry-fry), you can serve this as a dry dish — just add garam masala and coriander without the final water. Both versions are excellent.

The story

Rara is believed to have originated in the Punjabi dhabas along the Grand Trunk Road, where cooks would add whatever was available to stretch a dish further. The combination of mince and bone-in pieces became a style in itself — the mince disintegrates into the gravy while the bone-in pieces provide the depth and the visual drama. It is popular across Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.