Rajasthani Laal Maas (chicken) with Bajri bhakari/roti (Pearl millet bread)

 

Ingredients for Laal Maas:

Chicken – ½ kg

Onion paste – 1 cup

Dry red chilies (Preferably Rajasthani red chilies) – 10-12

Coriander seeds – 1 tblsp

Garlic cloves  - 8 cloves

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tblsp

Yogurt – 2 tblsp

Lemon – ½

Red chili powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Cloves – 3 to 4

Black pepper – 3 to 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch

Bay leaves – 2 to 3

Green cardamom – 2 to 3

Black cardamom – 1nos

Ghee – 3 tblsp

Coriander for garnish

Salt as per taste

Ingredients for bhakari:

Pearl millet flour – 1 cup

Hot water as required

Sesame seeds – ½  tblsp

Salt as per taste

Recipe:

 

1.       Soak 7 to 8 red chilies in hot water for an hour. Once soaked, blend a fine paste of these red chilies, coriander seeds and 4 garlic cloves. Blend the reaming 5 garlic cloves separately into fine paste.  Keep these blended pastes aside.

2.       In a bowl, place the cut chicken pieces. Marinate it with ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chili powder, ½ lemon juice, 2 tblsp yogurt, 2 tblsp onion paste, 1 tblsp red chili paste(blended in step 1) and some salt. Marinate it for 1-2 hrs.

3.       Heat ghee in a pan. Fry whole Garam masala in this ghee for a minute add remaining onion paste to it and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

4.       Add 3 to 4 whole dry red chilies (preferably Rajasthani red chilies), ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and remaining red chili paste(blended in step 1). Sauté the mixture till it starts to ooze out oil.

5.       Add the marinated chicken pieces to it one by one. As all of the chicken pieces needs to be browned evenly from all sides.

6.       Once the chicken gets browned from all sides, add the remaining marination to it. Add salt as per taste and Sauté it for a minute.

7.       While adding the salt, keep in mind that there was some salt in marination as well.

8.       Cover the chicken, and let it cook for 10-15 minutes on medium flame.

9.       After 10-15 minutes, chicken will be cooked. Add ½ -1 cup of water and let it boil for a minute.

10.   Add garam masala and garlic paste just 4 to 5 minutes before switching off the gas.

11.   Switch off the gas. Garnish it with some coriander and serve it hot with roti/fulka/naan or bajari ki bhakari (Pearl millet bread).

12.   It tastes good with bajari ki bhakari (Pearl millet bread).

Tip:

1.       The authentic Rajasthani  Laal maas is made from Lamb meat. However a variation can also be done with chicken as i have shown here.

2.       If you decide to use lamb. Make sure the amount of water , which we added during cooking will be increased, as lamb takes little more time to cook than chicken.

 

Recipe for bajari ki bhakari (Pearl millet bread):

1.       Sieve the bajra flour (Pearl millet flour). Add salt as per taste.

2.       Boil some water in a saucepan.

3.       Add this water in a flour as required. As we need to make a dough from it which is similar to  normal Indian roti dough. Though the texture of this dough will not be same as roti dough.

4.       Knead the dough very well for 4 to 5 minutes.

5.       Take a small ball from it.

6.       Sprinkle some dry flour on the surface. Place a ball on it and start to roll it with hand or

       Rolling pin very lightly.

7.       If dough sticks to the surface, use more dry flour.

8.       Once the bhakari  is rolled evenly in round shape, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of it, press it with very light hand , so that it stick to the top portion of bhakari.

9.       Heat a tava (pan) on high flame. Place the rolled bhakari on it, with sesame seeds side facing down.

10.   Apply some water on top of it. Wait for 10-20 second. Flip the bhakari and again let it cook for 1 minute.

11.   Once the bhakari is done from both sides, remove it from the tava (pan). Remove tava(pan) from flame and roast the bhakari again directly on flame with sesame seeds side facing to flame. Make sure that, the bhakari doesn't burn. 

12.   Quickly remove the bhakari from the flame and place it on a plate, apply some ghee on top of it and serve hot with laal maas.

 

Tip:

1.       Always use fresh Pearl millet flour. If it is old, you will not be able to roll the bhakari properly and also it will taste bitter.

2.    Use hot water for kneading the dough, as hot water prevent the bhakari from cracking while rolling.