Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Bengali Chicken Rezala
孟加拉乳酪香料雞 Rezala
Recipe overview
Tender chicken in a pale, aromatic yogurt-cashew sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 800 g chicken thighs
- 200 g plain yogurt
- 80 g cashews
- 2 onions
- 300 ml water
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 4 pods cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oil
02
Tools
- blender
- stew pot
- spatula
- large bowl
- thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Pat chicken dry
Pat 800 g chicken thighs dry and check for bone fragments; use a separate board for raw chicken.
Step 2
Marinate chicken in yogurt, ginger and garlic
Mix 200 g plain yogurt with 1 tbsp ginger paste and 1 tbsp garlic paste, coat the chicken, cover and marinate under refrigeration for about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Soak cashews until soft
Soak 80 g cashews in water until softened, then discard the soaking water.
Step 4
Blend cashews with a little water
Blend the soft cashews with a little of the measured 300 ml water to a smooth thick paste.
Step 5
Thinly slice onions
Thinly slice 2 onions to an even thickness.
Step 6
Warm cardamom and cloves in oil
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a casserole over low heat and warm 4 cardamom pods and 4 cloves until fragrant, without blackening.
Step 7
Soften onions without browning deeply
Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent but still pale; this curry should not brown deeply.
Step 8
Add chicken and lightly sear
Add the marinated chicken and turn until the surface lightly colours, then add any remaining yogurt marinade.
Step 9
Add water and simmer gently
Pour in the remaining water, making about 300 ml in total, cover and simmer the chicken gently.
Step 10
Stir in cashew paste
Stir in the cashew paste, scraping the base gently so the nut sauce does not stick.
Step 11
Simmer slowly until sauce is creamy
Keep a gentle simmer until the sauce is creamy, then season with 1 tsp white pepper and 1 tsp salt.
Step 12
Check chicken reaches 75°C and serve. Keep the food core at or above 75°C for 30 seconds.
Probe the thickest chicken piece to confirm at least 75°C for 30 seconds, then serve four hot portions with the creamy sauce.
Common mistakes
- Split yogurt
- Raw chicken
- Gritty cashew paste
Tips
Use gentle heat after yogurt enters to prevent splitting.
