Name: Bihari Champaran Chicken Handi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 300 g Chicken, curry cut, bone-in; 3 tbsp Mustard Oil, unheated/raw; 2 Garlic, whole bulbs, unpeeled; 3 medium Onion, roughly sliced; 1 tsp Black Peppercorns; 2 Indian Bay Leaf; 1½ tsp Red Chilli Powder, spicy variant; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric; 1 tsp Garam Masala; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

1 hr 35 mintotal

1 hr 5 min hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 45 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

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Method

Mix the raw chicken in a large bowl with the sliced onion, mustard oil, peppercorns, bay leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt, working the spices into the meat with your hands.
Place the whole, unpeeled garlic bulbs directly into the marinade mixture.
Transfer the entire mixture into a heavy-bottomed pot (or an earthen handi if available).
Do not add any water. Cover the pot tightly with a heavy lid.
Place the pot on the stove over the lowest possible heat.
Let it cook undisturbed for 40-45 minutes. Every 10-15 minutes, using oven mitts, hold the pot and gently shake it to prevent the onions from burning at the bottom (do not open the lid to stir).
40–45 min10–15 min
Turn off the heat. Let it rest for 10 minutes before opening the lid. The onions will have melted into a thick, luscious, intensely flavored gravy.
10 min

How to tell it's done

Fall-off-the-bone chicken pieces submerged in a dark, thick, highly aromatic, oil-separated onion gravy alongside soft whole garlic bulbs.

Getting it right

Tip

The magic relies heavily on the pungency of raw mustard oil and the slow-cooking process which melts the onions into a sauce without any added water.

What to serve it with

Best enjoyed with Litti, Sattu Paratha, or steamed plain Rice.

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Ingredients